CG or hybrid?

[Steve Klasan]

Hi guys,
last Friday i found this first winter Gull (with polish color ring/yellow PKBC) on my local Gull spot.
I'm not sure whether this is a hybrid, as you can see several features speak for a Caspian Gull, but for me the markings on the head look quite strange for a pure CG.

_MG_9805.jpg (292.72KiB)Viewed 3044 times

_MG_9827.jpg (289.45KiB)Viewed 3044 times

_MG_9880.jpg (317.94KiB)Viewed 3044 times

note moulted tertial

_MG_9881.jpg (503.78KiB)Viewed 3044 times

What do you think?
Thanks Steve

[lou bertalan]

hi steve,

nothing hybridish for me there. looks perfect for female type caspian.
some ind. just do have stronger head striation than might be expected for a cach. these striations are aquired like in the other taxa with postjuvenile moult.

this is mid september but note how many of the 51 pics here have stronger striation on head:
http://chrisgibbins-gullsbirds.blogspot ... e-not.html

this darkish is also from september: http://lou.bertalan.de/gulls/pic/vh/up_0561.jpg

lou

[Ronald Klein]

...nothing hybridish for me there. looks perfect for female type caspian.
some ind. just do have stronger head striation than might be expected for a cach.

I agree with you, Lou.