mich or cach

[Theo Muusse]

A 2nd winter bird, boldly patterned, pale-eyed cach or mirrorred mich?

Theo

[Theo Muusse]

Open wing.
Note the visible mirrors in p10.

Theo

[lou bertalan]

hi theo,

if it wasn't for the apparent scarcity of cachinellis i'd vote for such a hybrid. i can't imagine this being a pure cach with a pale getting iris at less than 1,5 years and this bold covert pattern. head structure seems wrong too. it looks very odd for being a pure mich but i'd rather accept such a YLG (inclusive mirrors) than a caspian. tatus x mich is not very likely because of the mirror and tatus x cach usually looks different in covert and tertial patterns but it may be acceptable.

lou

[Theo Muusse]

The underwing.

Theo

[lou bertalan]

hm, p10 tongue looks rectangular in this view, so cachinnans could well be one parent with that clean white underside also.
inner wing pattern is ok for cach, remains just the very bold covert pattern which can be herring gull influence.

[lou bertalan]

the more i look at it the more it looks like an odd herring gll or hybrid with a lot of tatus in it.
2cy cachi can well have contrasting patterned lesser coverts but they look different: http://www.pbase.com/slisch/image/145400325 , http://www.pbase.com/slisch/image/145400314
tertial pattern looks mostly like cach but note in the linked bird very sharp cut subterminal lines.