Heuglini or graellsii

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Boris Belchev
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Location:Kėdainiai, Lithuania
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Heuglini or graellsii

Post by Boris Belchev » Fri Apr 12, 2013 10:43 pm

My first difficulty this season please help with ID?
Heuglini or graellsii in flight (11042013).jpg
Shame that I cut the wing but with 600 mm is difficult to keep the object in the frame... :-)
Heuglini or graellsii in flight (11042013).jpg (223.53KiB)Viewed 4428 times
Attachments
Heuglini or graellsii underwing (16042013).jpg
Another photo with the wing from bottom.
Heuglini or graellsii underwing (16042013).jpg (273.88KiB)Viewed 4348 times
Heuglini or graellsii upperwing (11042013).jpg
Some good view on the primaries.
Heuglini or graellsii upperwing (11042013).jpg (291.57KiB)Viewed 4427 times
Heuglini or graellsii side (11042013).jpg
Standing still for profile photo :-)
Heuglini or graellsii side (11042013).jpg (224.09KiB)Viewed 4427 times
Heuglini or graellsii underwing (11042013).jpg
Another photo with the wing from bottom.
Heuglini or graellsii underwing (11042013).jpg (303.84KiB)Viewed 4428 times
Last edited by Boris Belchev on Tue Apr 23, 2013 4:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Boris Belchev
www.alcedowildlife.com

Ruud Altenburg
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Re: Heuglini or graellsii

Post by Ruud Altenburg » Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:45 pm

I'm afraid it may not be of much help in this case, but location and date usually are pretty helpful clues...

Boris Belchev
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Re: Heuglini or graellsii

Post by Boris Belchev » Mon Apr 15, 2013 7:54 pm

Date is under each photo, 11.04.2013 and location is Zabieliškio landfill, Kedainiai district, Lithuania.
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marsmuusse
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Re: Heuglini or graellsii

Post by marsmuusse » Tue Apr 16, 2013 1:22 pm

Hi Boris,
Over the last 2 decades, we gained much info on plumage identification of several gull taxa in Europe. Unfortunately, separation of adult heuglini and adult graellsii is not one of these plumages, and so far, we believe there is a complete overlap in phenotypic characteristics of the two. As Ruud mentioned, location and date may be helpful, however, Dutch graellsii (ringed birds) have been recorded in S Finland and there is no reason why we should expect they cannot reach the Baltic states. Still, unringed birds in this region are probably best labeled heuglini, as this taxon is far more abundant.
Now pale-backed intermedius and dark-backed fuscus seem to be breeding in mixed colonies in at least N Norway, another option becomes apparent: offsprings from mixed couples. Such offsprings may look like U0JD: http://www.israel.gull-research.org/fuscus2cy/u0jd.html (but I have to add I'm not saying this is a true mixed bird, it was ringed in Israel, and we just don't know exactly where it's from). U0JD was recorded again in Poland last week by Mariusz Dąbek. No doubt, U0JD is the most discussed and most photographed of anu gulls in Israel, starting a debate over its identity. First it seemed to be fuscus, than became heuglini (supported by Amir), than questioned again by me as I believe this is most probabl;y from N Norway. And we are still not sure...

Now it has been recorded in a north-west direction from israel; very interesting and maybe this relatively large, pale-backed bird can be found in a Scandinavian colony. If so, it will raise debate over the possibilty of identifing true heuglini birds in Israel, despite the immense difference in magnitude of occurance. U0JD can be considered an Israeli "resident", spending every winter from its first winter till now in Israel, normally arriving on the 7th December and staying usually till 1st April. In fact, it was last seen at Ashdod Israel on 1.4.13 (by Ehud Dovrat) and arrived in Poland in 9 days or less: Total of 2590 Km in 9 days which is 288 Km per day (night), direction 330.08 degrees.

2 attachments: Lesser black-backed gull RED U0JD on 10.04.2013 at Sulisławice rubbish dump, Poland (50°52'26,7''N, 16°29'59,2''E).

Amir Ben Dov
Yoav Perlman
Mariusz Dąbek
Mars Muusse
Attachments
U0JD b.JPG
U0JD b.JPG (442.56KiB)Viewed 4383 times
U0JD a.JPG
U0JD a.JPG (482.06KiB)Viewed 4383 times

Boris Belchev
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Re: Heuglini or graellsii

Post by Boris Belchev » Tue Apr 16, 2013 6:09 pm

Thank you Mars, very helpful post, I had two birds today and both were Heuglini gulls today, I didn't have time to proceed some more pictures, but I had a L.f.graellsii with dark blue ring, but I guess is good to share it in my main post. Cheers,
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Boris Belchev
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