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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Yellow-legged Gull ? UK, 18-Sep-21 (1 Viewer)

GMS

Well-known member
I think this is a YL Gull but have been caught out recently by LBBG, so would be good to confirm. Unfortunately wouldn't allow me to get close, hence pics are heavily cropped.
  • At distance contrasting whitish head/body with darker back (hence stood out from the crowd)
  • Whitish head with pronounced mask
  • Whitish body, blotches neck and flanks
  • All dark heavy bill
  • Clean, relatively narrow black tail band
  • White rump with few spots only, pure white in outer tail feathers
  • Bird seems to have replaced scaps and even some lesser coverts, although this is a bit difficult to see in pics (flight pics show irregular brown vs grey areas)
  • Slight primary window only
  • Underwing is light brown
  • Inner Greater coverts all dark.
Most LBBG I see are usually more uniformly dark coloured on back and upperwing but can be very white headed too. Underwing mostly much darker brown. Would expect tail in LBBG to be more mottled, with some marks in the outer tail feathers also.

Any thoughts appreciated.
 

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