Gull from Iceland, Herring or hybrid

[JanJ]

This gull was seen in Iceland and photographed by Omar on 25 Feb this year. It has appeared at Surfbirds forum where the hybrid suggestion between kumlieni and smithsonianus came up, a mix as far as I can remember is new to me. Myself identifying it as probably a dark hooded Herring., which of course could be a wrong.
decision.

http://www.surfbirds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8346

JanJ

[marsmuusse]

Hi Jan,

Anyone interested in the variation of plumage in Iceland Herring Gulls should read the work by Snell and Ingolfsson. There has been some debate about whether the population on Iceland really faced much hybridisation (Ingolfsson's line) or if the apparent variation is related to the gene-poll of the first breeders (Snell's line).
Here is the direct pdf-link:
http://www.gull-research.org/papers/11i ... rrings.pdf

[adriaens]

Hi Mars,

why still refer to Snell ? I thought the debate had long ended, since we now have DNA analysis for genetic research:
http://www.gull-research.org/papers/bur ... netica.pdf

[Hans Larsson]

A quite similar bird from Iceland last March. I believe they´re both within the variation of Icelandic argenteus, but bill shape/colour and primary pattern of course opens the door for speculation..

Hans

Island 3 1639.jpg (366.96KiB)Viewed 3596 times