pure HG?

[WolfgangSchweighofer]

Good morning,

another one from yesterday. Will be a Herring Gull, I´m indeed not experienced in the variety of this taxon
Looks strange for me with it´s whitish head, white breast and belly and even nearly lacking a barring of undertail coverts. Also pretty dark tertials.

[adriaens]

Hi Wolfgang,

I am not 100% sure as there no flight shots, but I think this bird is more likely a Yellow-legged Gull.
In addition to the features you already mentioned, there seems to be rather strong contrast between the scapulars and the wing-coverts, and the primary projection looks very long.
Also, I cannot be sure from these photos, but it looks as if a number of median coverts may have been replaced (?)

[lou bertalan]

hi wolfgang, peter,

difficult bird. long primaries and whitish head is also found in baltic argentatus. mask around eye, scapular pattern and the mentioned contrast looks YLG-ish. but bill could well sit on a caspian (or cach x tatus), also the paler GC tips and overall whitish undeparts. structurally it looks somewhere in between argentatus and michahellis, tertials are abraded, look YLG-like but don't give much clues. well patterned outer GC are rare in YLG and caspian. an open tail and wing would indeed be best for IDing this bird...

lou

[WolfgangSchweighofer]

Thanks, Peter and Lou, for your comments.
Yes, it´s more an YLG with atypical coverts, I think. It´s not to expect to see such an individual in winter, when the species is more a rarity here.

Gullers from the coasts can not imagine how difficult observing of gulls can be at inland sites. Gulls are very cautious and allow not to get closer than about 50m with car. Additionally the terrain at Wörth is very confusing, the birds often hidden behind hills of gravel. I have added an original pic of that gull, taken with 500mm lens through the closed door of the company, to give an impression.

Taking flightshots is not easy: You get only 1 chance, when the birds fligh away. I have taken 1 picture from that moment, but the discussed bird was a little to far on the left, focus was on PALC from Poland, only the wingtip to see...
You have to be really lucky to see a ringed bird so clear as it was with PALC (an advanced 2nd winter Caspian). Some years ago it was much easier, 100-200 large gulls rather close on an open place (instead of that gravel hills).

Wolfgang

[WolfgangSchweighofer]

Interestingly the bird has returned today! Easy to recognize...

Again no flightshots possible, but a viev to the whitish tail coverts (with weak barring).

[WolfgangSchweighofer]

Here is another pic with possibility to compare with an YLG of the same age. I can´t imagine that this is an YLG. It has a Caspian head in my eyes. The bird combines features of CG and HG - in my modest opinion...

[lou bertalan]

Here is another pic with possibility to compare with an YLG of the same age. I can´t imagine that this is an YLG. It has a Caspian head in my eyes. The bird combines features of CG and HG - in my modest opinion...

in my opinion too...

lou