For birders all over the world
Continued... Ageing of second- and third-calendar year Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus (fuscus) graellsii during it’s complete moult in June and July.
Brian J. Small
| Surfbirds.com | |||||||||
|
For birders all over the world
|
|||||||||
Continued... Ageing of second- and third-calendar year Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus (fuscus) graellsii during it’s complete moult in June and July.
|
|||||||||
| The "second-summer" images again show enormous variability and, perhaps, all is not what it seems. Fig.9. (below) "2nd summer" graellsii has already moulted its body plumage (late June) and has more immature bill colour. | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Fig.9. "2nd summer" graellsii
|
|||||||||
| Fig.10. (below) "2nd summer" graellsii (same date as Fig.9.) has much more advanced bill colour and lacks head streaking, but lacks many plain grey wing coverts. | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Fig.10. "2nd summer" graellsii
|
|||||||||
| Fig.11. (below) is similar and what you would expect for a second-summer. Is the image of graellsii, labelled "second-summer", in Lars Jonsson’s article on Baltic Gull actually third-summer? It looks a lot more advanced than those I see. | |||||||||
|
|||||||||
| Fig.11. "2nd summer" graellsii
|
|||||||||
| Anyone who has looked at graellsii as much as I have over the past two months will understand the confusion. I would appreciate comments from any gull enthusiasts with opinions on the ages of the images here. I have my own, but try for yourself.
|
|||||||||