CG or hybrid?

[Steve Klasan]

Hi guys,
last Friday i found this first winter Gull (with polish color ring/yellow PKBC) on my local Gull spot.
I'm not sure whether this is a hybrid, as you can see several features speak for a Caspian Gull, but for me the markings on the head look quite strange for a pure CG.

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note moulted tertial

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What do you think?
Thanks Steve

[lou bertalan]

hi steve,

nothing hybridish for me there. looks perfect for female type caspian.
some ind. just do have stronger head striation than might be expected for a cach. these striations are aquired like in the other taxa with postjuvenile moult.

this is mid september but note how many of the 51 pics here have stronger striation on head:
http://chrisgibbins-gullsbirds.blogspot ... e-not.html

this darkish is also from september: http://lou.bertalan.de/gulls/pic/vh/up_0561.jpg

lou

[Ronald Klein]

...nothing hybridish for me there. looks perfect for female type caspian.
some ind. just do have stronger head striation than might be expected for a cach.

I agree with you, Lou.