www.gull-research.org

Hopefully one of the Swedish contributors can say something about this 1cy Caspian Gull. It was discovered a few days ago and appeared to carry a Swedish ring! I have informed with the Swedish ringing central but the number read initially appeared to be incorrect.

Today I went to see the bird myself. Unfortunately it was too distant to read the ring but today 90A 71xxx was positively read, so it definitely was ringed in Sweden. According to the ringing office only three (sub)adult birds have been ringed in Sweden so far, so this one may have slipped the radar, maybe being ringed as Herring instead. With a bill like this (malformed and even longer than usual) that hardly seems possible!

Today it was accompanied by a YLG ringed in Switzerland and yes, that ring was read... We'll try again tomorrow.

Ps: as it was constantly preening (some greasy substance on its chest) it was almost impossible to photograph properly. I have posted a short movie to youtube.

Ruud,

these three - two adults and one 3cy - was ringed at Ottenby 9 Now 2007. As far as I know they are the only ones.

http://www.sofnet.org/ofstn/dagbok/file ... 71109.html

Jan

I talked to Kenneth Bengtsson and he and Lennart Blomquist ringed a Caspian (left leg) at Spillepeng, Malmö, Sweden in September this year. Except for the birds from Ottenby, (listed by Jan J) I don´t know of any other Caspian Gull ringed in Sweden. It´s most likely this bird and they hope the full series can be read!

If they have taken some pictures during ringing I'm pretty sure we can ID this individual by its bill!

I received this two photos from Kenneth Bengtsson (taken by Anders Åkesson). The bird was ringed already on the 7th of August at Spillepeng, Malmö.

The Amsterdam bird was originally (incorrectly) read as SVS 90A71677, so I don't doubt that it concerns the same individual. Thanks Jörgen!

Rather fascinating that we are looking at the same individual, I mean, with such different bill proportions!

Jan

Here's an LBBG with abnormal bill growth (bill seems to grow continuously).

Hi Ruud.

I know of that bird you linked and that abnormal bills in young gulls can grow into perfectly normal ones later on. However, the subject cachinnans has managed this in only one or two months, depending on when the pic. by Anders Åkesson was taken. In your pic. Ruud, the bill looks not only longer (probably partly due to longer extension of the upper mandible feathering but also developed into an obvious slimmer bill. I´m not disputing the identity of this cachinnans, mearly wonder if such a normal looking bill in the earlier pic. can appear like it does in your pic - in just a month or two.

Cheers

Jan

if the camera date is correct (and judging by the ringing date it is) the Swedish pic was taken just after ringing on 7th August 2010.

regards, pim