Steppe Gull - barabensis

(last update: 8-9-2014 )

Home

barabensis 1CY July
barabensis 1CY Aug
barabensis 1CY Oct
barabensis 1CY Nov

barabensis 2CY Jan
barabensis 2CY Febr
barabensis 2CY March
barabensis 2CY July
barabensis 2CY Nov

barabensis 3CY June
barabensis 3CY Nov

barabensis sub-ad Jan
barabensis sub-ad June
barabensis sub-ad Nov

barabensis ad Jan
barabensis ad March
barabensis ad May
barabensis ad June
barabensis ad July
barabensis ad Nov
barabensis ad Dec

barabensis-type 2CY, February 27 2001, Manama harbour, Bahrain.

Barabensis class I 1st winter or maybe female cachinnans. Two pictures of the same individual. Depending on the angle, the bill is high-based, rather short or pretty long without a gonydeal angle, but anyway shows already a pale pink base. Streaking is limited to neck and lower neck and the area above the eye. All the mantle and scapulars are 2^nd generation, the lower scapulars moulted last; the pattern is quite simple, plain grey with a dark shaft streak. The entire wing is still juvenile, as are the tertials and tail feathers. The short, thick pale yellow legs seem to fit barabensis better than cachinnans and the rounded head seem to apply barabensis best. The very pale scapulars may rule out heuglini, which in majority show wing covert moult.