Hybrid pair CG × LBBG in Belarus

[Dmitry Goncharov]

Hybrid breeding pair (Caspian Gull × Lesser Black-backed Gull) with nestling in a mixed colony (Gatovo, 28-06-2012):
1 - male CG, 2 - female LBBG, 3 – hybrid nestling.
The first registration of nesting of Lesser Black-backed Gull for Belarus was in 2012.
Subspecies status of this LBBG is not yet clear.
Dmitry.

[lou bertalan]

could you follow the nestlings's growth - did it survive? female looks more like an intermedius to me than a heuglini, but that's just a very subjective view.

[Ronald Klein]

Looks surely like an intermedius. We have single Darkbacked gulls in the inland of East Germany, they breed with everywhem equal come from.

[marsmuusse]

Hi Dmitry,
Sorry that I missed this set of images. Extremely interesting documentation!
Congratulations, Mars

[Dmitry Goncharov]

A nesting of the mixed pair LBBG and CG is noted in the second year (Gatovo, 06-05-2013).

[Dmitry Goncharov]

Dear colleagues,
I will be grateful for your opinion: is it L.fuscus intermedius?
Dmitry

[lou bertalan]

my feeling is yes, intermedius. as most birds in germany and denmark guess. doesn't look heuglini like from amount of black in wingtip, head and bill shape. do they breed now?

all the best and nice that you finally caught it!

lou

[Dmitry Goncharov]

Thanks! Yes, they breed successfully this year.
All the best,
Dmitry