Yellow legged gull? Black mark on beak? Istanbul (1 Viewer)

[babuccu]

Hi everyone, I hope you are all doing great. I photographed these two individuals this morning in Istanbul/Turkey. I think they are yellow legged gulls but they appear to have a black mark on their beaks. Is this a hormonal phenomenon or something regarding the age or the season?

Thanks a lot.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,
again I hope for a deeper answer from Lou, Steve, smiths or others, but a feature of older immature YLG (against Herring Gull) is this three-coloured bill:
adult-like bright yellow, a red spot and a contrasting black tip or band.

Therefore, your first bird looks good for a 2cycle YLG to me.

The second bird is harder for me: first jizz is dominated by a long and slender, parallel-edged bill. The position of the eye seems surely shifted by the position of the head, with birds looking away from the camera, but it ads to the impression of a Caspian Gull.
Yes, eye is pale, but bird seems to lack a red eye-ring (many/some? older immature YLG have already developed a deep red one). I see dark shadows on the tertials (as a sign of immaturity?). And the white mirror on p10 is surely too small for a Caspian Gull, even an older immature?

One last thought: I have such a pale, colourless eye in a few birds, that looked otherwise perfectly for a Caspian Gull in nE_Germany.
Conclusion? I hope for others to jump in. But if forced, I would ID this bird as a YLG, too, but prepared to be corrected as always with large Gulls. Thanks!

 

[Andy Adcock]

The bill on the first bird, looks spot on for Armenian to me, a bird I've been hoping to find, here in Cyprus and had I found this bird, I'd probably have ticked it as such but, It should have dark eyes.

Birding/ Bird watching on Cyprus - Armenian Gull

 

[Andy Adcock]

One last thought: I have such a pale, colourless eye in a few birds, that looked otherwise perfectly for a Caspian Gull in nE_Germany.
Conclusion? I hope for others to jump in. But if forced, I would ID this bird as a YLG, too, but prepared to be corrected as always with large Gulls. Thanks!

With pink legs?

I hate Gulls, just too hard!

 

[pianoman]

With pink legs?

I hate Gulls, just too hard!

The gull in the second pic looks to me to have pale yellow legs, but not the full-on yellow of an adult YLG

 

[PYRTLE]

With pink legs?

I hate Gulls, just too hard!

Like you, I love full on adults and some of the easier juveniles but you'll enjoy the Armenians at the bathing pool near the start of Lady's Mile. That bill shape and pattern is really sumptuous. Couple of Penduline Tits reported nearby recently.

 

[ratt]

The gull in the second pic looks to me to have pale yellow legs, but not the full-on yellow of an adult YLG

You are correct I think.....I had to have a second look to see it. On first look they do seem pinkish.

 

[Andy Adcock]

The gull in the second pic looks to me to have pale yellow legs, but not the full-on yellow of an adult YLG

Definitely pink on my screen, I see no hint of yellow?

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Andy, Pianoman, Pat and Ratt,

thank you for jumping in. I havent experience with Armenian Gull and its a species, I would surely overlook in Germany. Does expert comments like in this thread and the new ID-Guide change this situation? I hope so.

And for the second Gull: pale yellow legs with a shift towards pink, like this bird (yes; I see pinkish and yellowish on my screen, too) is easy within variation for older immature YLG, I see in SW-Germany.
But yes, the word hybrid isnt a bad one with large Gulls. And identifying a Caspian x YLG is far above my level of experience.

Just one disagreement with you: I love Gulls, there is still so much to learn for me.

 

[ratt]

Hello Andy, Pianoman, Pat and Ratt,

thank you for jumping in. I havent experience with Armenian Gull and its a species, I would surely overlook in Germany. Does expert comments like in this thread and the new ID-Guide change this situation? I hope so.

And for the second Gull: pale yellow legs with a shift towards pink, like this bird (yes; I see pinkish and yellowish on my screen, too) is easy within variation for older immature YLG, I see in SW-Germany.
But yes, the word hybrid isnt a bad one with large Gulls. And identifying a Caspian x YLG is far above my level of experience.

Just one disagreement with you: I love Gulls, there is still so much to learn for me.

I get frustrated by gulls. It seems that every time I think I learn something, it just gets blown out the water soon after. I could live 10 lifetimes and still not get there.

 

[dantheman]

I get frustrated by gulls. It seems that every time I think I learn something, it just gets blown out the water soon after. I could live 10 lifetimes and still not get there.

Careful.

You'll be reading Jonathan Livingstone Seagull next ...

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Rat, Yes, me too: It seems that every time I think I learn something, it just gets blown out the water soon after. I could live 10 lifetimes and still not get there.

But that what I am interested in, and so I am glad Andy and others here jumped in, and helped me!

 

[pianoman]

Definitely pink on my screen, I see no hint of yellow?

Well the light rays have gone through a camera, my screen and then my eyeballs so who knows, but I do see some yellow there

 

[mummymonkey]

Well the light rays have gone through a camera, my screen and then my eyeballs so who knows, but I do see some yellow there

Yeah, kind of old straw coloured on my monitor.

 

[ratt]

Yeah, kind of old straw coloured on my monitor.

With a good hint of pinkish though.....what a strange colour combination.

 

[babuccu]

I am adding two more photos of the second individual where the legs are more visible; but still questionable in colour though 🤨

 

[Andy Adcock]

I am adding two more photos of the second individual where the legs are more visible; but still questionable in colour though View attachment 1425287 🤨

Still look pink to me?

 

[dantheman]

Pinky-yellow to me (aka straw coloured).

 

[ratt]

Still look pink to me?

I am totally confused.......gulls uh!

 

[Andy Adcock]

I've seen a number of Y-l G this week and all, have had very clearly, yellow legs.