Page 1 of 1

2cy Baltic Gull ?

Posted: Sat Sep 05, 2020 2:22 pm
by RSNaarhus
On 5th of August 2020 I saw a 2cy LBBG at Hirtshals, Denmark. This bird was unringed and did not show very well. I did not manage flight shots. Can it be safely identified as 2cy and secondly if yes, can it be safely identified as a fuscus?

Comments to this bird would be very welcome.

The jetblack primaries fits well with them having been replaced recently, which would fit fuscus very well.

Is 2cy correct? Scanning through Gull Researc Org I have not been able to find any 3cy LBBG's without more yellow legs and more adult like bill.

See some video of the bird here: https://vimeo.com/444878298 and https://vimeo.com/444857440

Re: 2cy Baltic Gull ?

Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2020 8:19 pm
by Nils Conradt
Hi,

with due regard to the uncertainties inherent in the identification of this taxon all what I can make out of the bird in questions points to a second cy bird of the fuscus subspecies. In particular the light speckling on the neck sides and the all-black primary tips lacking any signs of apical spots both do not fit a 3rd cy Baltic Gull. An intermedius bird in its third summer I would expect to show markedly paler, more abraded primaries at this time of the year. In conclusion, this bird looks fine for a first-summer Baltic Gull, at least for me. A comparably advanced bird with a full set of renewed primaries was on Heligoland island this June.

Cheers, Nils