www.gull-research.org

Hi everybody!
Ruud invited me to take part in this forum - so I will try...

Today I have found this gull at my local site in Wörth near river Donau/Danube, central Austria.
Fleshy long leg (it had a healthy 2nd one), bill coloration and bill proportions seem to fit for Caspian, but primaries and head with pale eye and slightly dark mask around eye looks well for YLG.

Maybe a hybrid?



Wolfgang

Hi Wolfgang, welcome!
Did you rule out the possible S Finnish argentatus?

marsmuusse wrote:Did you rule out the possible S Finnish argentatus?

No, I didn´t. Austrian birders do not expect Finnish argentatus at this time of year. And they expect all types of argentatus to be heavily streaked on neck.
Of course this expectations are apparently wrong.
Even Polish inland argentatus may be long legged and sometimes are lacking these neck streakings like this green 829P in midwinter (Jan 11th 2009; Wörth/Austria). Sorry, I´ve got no better pic...



Wolfgang