Yellow-legged Gull. Spain (1 Viewer)

[John In Ireland]

This looks to me like a yellow-legged gull except for the bill. Is this a deformity? Or something else?

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello John,

it's a 2cy (presuming you took the picture recently) Slender billed Gull imo.

Despite the deformed bill, you can still guess a far too slender, small bill than for all (?) Yellow legged Gulls.
Really starring pale eye excludes (nearly?) all Black headed Gulls, which shares the visible pattern on the primaries.
Many immature Black headed Gulls have a dark ear covert spot or even a stronger head pattern, not white headed like your bird.

 

[lou salomon]

Slender-billed Gull it is, but why 2cy? it's a hatch year bird (1cy).

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Lou,

thanks for correction!

I was going by the really pale eye and the very restricted amount of brownish centers in the wing coverts.

 

[John In Ireland]

Well you both got a lot further that I did! Thank you both

 

[lou salomon]

Hello Lou,

thanks for correction!

I was going by the really pale eye and the very restricted amount of brownish centers in the wing coverts.

SBG usually have less and paler immature markings to wing coverts than BHG, so they usually look more advanced in first winter. But look at juvenile tertials, rectrices and secondaries.