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Hi All,

I took these pictures of this strange (to me) gull today at my local spot near Debrecen, Hungary.

Is it possible that it's a HG or just a YLG with unusually pale tertials and greater coverts?

And also it should be a 1cy bird shouldn't it?

Thanks in advance,

Gabor

In my humble opinion it is a 1cy Yellow-legged Gull. For some variations in the juvenile plumage for eastern YL Gulls see my posts from here: viewforum.php?f=24

Those pale feathers aren't juvenile, they are second generation feathers. You can see exactly where it stopped the replacement in the open wing shot. Nice 1cy YLG!

thanks guys.

it crossed my mind that it's already second generation but I didn't think that they can be that advanced at around now. most YLGs I see at this spot aren't near to this one. and I don't think I have ever seen so pale and unmarked greater coverts like this one has.

cheers,

Gabor

Ruud Altenburg wrote:Those pale feathers aren't juvenile, they are second generation feathers. You can see exactly where it stopped the replacement in the open wing shot. Nice 1cy YLG!

hi gabor,

some 1cy YLGs have an astonishly complete postjuvenile moult: have a look at these threads:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=131&hilit=dimitris

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=158

inside the second link you'll find theese 2 strange birds photographed in athens by dimitris at 27.12.2009. the first one even has replaced p1-7(8?) to 2nd generation!

http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php ... 1262468276
http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php ... 1262468301
http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php ... 1262468325

2nd bird (also with all coverts, tertials and most rectrices moulted to 2nd gen):

http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php ... 1262541815
http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php ... 1262541827
http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php ... 1262541840

and this bird from bucharest (by cristian mihai):

http://www.birdforum.net/showpost.php?p ... tcount=659

cheers,

thanks Lou.
It was very useful.

cheers,
Gabor