Mew Gull Larus canus canus; heinei; kamtschatschensis; brachyrhynchus

(last update: March 12, 2012)

Mew Gull (Larus canus) 2nd cycle (2CY): November - December

Mew Gull is a widespread species on the northern hemisphere with several sub-species: in N America brachyrhynchus, in W Europe nominate canus, in W Asia and Russia heinei and in the Far East sub-species kamtschatschensis.
The American race brachyrhynchus is a breeding bird of Alaska, the American West coast and inland Canada. After the breeding season, it disperses south along the coast to California. Brachyrhynchus can be readily told from nominate canus, and therefore sometimes considered a full species: Mew Gull. The differences can be found in the bill (in some birds obviously small), but most in plumage.
Nominate canus is a common breeding bird in North Europe, wintering both in the breeding area and slightly south, to the northern coast of the Mediterranean. 
The race heinei breeds from White Russia eastwards to central Mongolia, in a broad band over the tundra region of inland U.S.S.R. It can be found wintering in the central Asian states, southern Black Sea and Caspian Sea and further south to the Persian Gulf. Part of the eastern population of heinei may follow a more eastern route to the coast of China.
Race kamtschatschensis breeds in eastern Siberia and, as the name indicates, Kamtschatcha. In winter it moves southwards along the coast, wintering in Japan, the Korea's and China. It is the largest race, almost as large as Herring Gull.  The description below largely follows from P.J. Grant: "Gulls, a guide to identification".

Mew Gull canus 2CY, October- December 2016, Grou, the Netherlands (Mars Muusse). 2CY canus often has a bluish tone on the bill. Left-top bird is extreme in showing only limited spotting on head and neck. Centre-left bird is only one with yellowish - and combined with larger size and slightly darker grey upperparts.

2CY Mew Gull

Mew Gull has a partial moult in spring. It starts in February and is completed by April, leaving birds in so-called "first summer" plumage. The head turns much whiter, with the white chin, throat and breast white and dark streaking confined on the crown, hind-neck. The tertials, wing-coverts, primaries and tail-feathers are excluded from this moult and turn paler, the grey parts turn almost white and very worn at the tips. The dark primaries and the lesser coverts start to bleach to pale brown. The second generation grey scapulars create a saddle. The legs are greyish.

From June to October, a complete moult will bring birds in so-called "second winter" plumage. The head and hind-neck are strongly spotted and from the hind-neck, these spots form streaks, creating a collar running down the sides of the breast. Under-parts, tail-coverts and rump are white. The second generation primaries resemble adult primaries, but the black is more extensive in the outer-wing, with black sub-terminal markings down to P4 or even to P3. The greater and median primary coverts and the lesser coverts in the carpal edge are dark centred as well. The white tips on the outer primaries are ill-defined, wearing off quickly and the mirrors on P9 and P10 are smaller than in full adult plumage. The tail is all-white in race canus. The iris is brown, the greyish bill has a clear black bill-band. 
After the complete moult in June to October, brachyrhynchus may still show several immature feathers in the wing. The central tertials and some of the tail-feathers may show dark immature centres (even creating some kind of a tail-band in some individuals). Immature features can also be found in the central greater coverts and in the carpal edge and can even be found on the upper-tail and under-tail coverts. These immature features are less often found in nominate canus, which show no vestiges of a tail-band from autumn 2cy onwards ("second winter" plumage and later). In this respect, brachyrhychus resembles Ring-billed Gull, L. delawarensis. From autumn 2cy onwards, the iris in brachyrhynchus may turn obvious pale.
The race kamtschatschensis shows similar amount of patterning after the complete moult as brachyrhynchus, with many immature markings in tail, tertials and wing-coverts. Moreover, (all?) kamtschatschensis still shows black tips on the white under-wing coverts.

Although literature mentions for 2CY October: "These immature features are less often found in nominate canus, which show no vestiges of a tail-band from autumn 2cy onwards ("second winter" plumage and later)", you may find 2CY birds in western Europe - matching the description for nominate canus - that dó show black in the tail. Classic 2nd generation primaries. Also in resting birds, when patterns on the primasry coverts are hidden underneath the wing-coverts, the exposed primary tips may still reveal a bird's age. 2nd generation primaries often are still brownish and lack the clear-cut white tips.
You may find 2CY birds in western Europe - matching the description for nominate canus - that do show dark centres on the tertials. Here, two example birds.
In many 2CY autumn birds, the black markings on the upperwing are obvious when the wing is spread. 2nd generation P9-P10 may show large mirrors. In many 2CY birds, the black markings on the upperwing are mirrored and apparent on the underwing as well in the coverts.

 

"brachyrhynchus" Mew Gull 2CY Nov - December

2cy Common Gull (77401 bytes)Mew Gull brachyrhynchus sub-adult, December 31 2011, Seattle, WA. Picture: Amar Ayyash.
Mew Gull brachyrhynchus 2nd cycle (2CY), December 31 2011, Metro Sewage Ponds - Seattle, WA. Picture: Amar Ayyash.
2cy Common Gull (77401 bytes)Mew Gull brachyrhynchus 2nd cycle (2CY), December 09 2014, Vancouver, BC., Canada. Picture: Lee Barlow.

"canus" Mew Gull 2CY November - December

adult Common Gull (63404 bytes)Mew Gull canus 2cy E33M December 11 2011, Zaandam, The Netherlands. Picture: Maarten van Kleinwee.
adult Common Gull (63404 bytes)Mew Gull canus 2cy BLB E368.803 December 11 2011, Zaandam, The Netherlands. Picture: Maarten van Kleinwee.
adult Common Gull (63404 bytes)Mew Gull canus AKTJ 2CY, December 24 2015, Le-Touquet, France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage.
2cy Common Gull (77401 bytes)Mew Gull canus A25K 1st-2nd cycle (1CY-3CY), November 2014 - January 2016, Grou, the Netherlands. Picture: Ruurd Jelle van der Leij.
Mew Gull canus 2CY-3CY, October 2016 - March 2017, Grou, the Netherlands. Black in the tail.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 26 - December 02 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, December 02 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 26 - December 02 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 26 - December 01 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 30 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, October - December 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 26 - December 02 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 26 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 26 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, December 02 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2nd cycle (2CY), November 10 2012, Esbjerg, Denmark. Picture: Graham Ekins.
2cy Common Gull (77401 bytes)Mew Gull canus 2nd cycle (2CY), November 22 2014, Grou, the Netherlands. Picture: Ruurd Jelle van der Leij.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 19 2011, Grou, the Netherlands. Picture: Ruurd Jelle van der Leij.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, December 02 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, December 02 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 26 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 26 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 26 - December 02 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 30 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, December 01 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 30 2016, Grou, the Netherlands.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 23 2013, Grou, the Netherlands. Picture: Ruurd Jelle van der Leij.
Mew Gull canus 2CY, November 23 2013, Grou, the Netherlands. Picture: Ruurd Jelle van der Leij.

"heinei" Mew Gull 2CY November - December

Mew Gull heinei 2nd cycle-type (2CY), November 20 2014, Kuryk - Mangystau, south of Aktau, W Kazakhstan. Picture: Askar Isabekov.
Mew Gull heinei 2nd cycle (2CY), November 21 2014, Atyrau, W Kazakhstan. Picture: Askar Isabekov.
2cy Common Gull (77401 bytes)Mew Gull heinei 2cy, December 05 2014, Sevastopol, Crimea, Black Sea. Picture: Vitaly Giragosov.
Mew Gull heinei 2nd cycle (2CY), December 15 2014, Aktau, W Kazakhstan. Picture: Askar Isabekov.
Mew Gull heinei 2nd cycle (2CY), November 25 2011, Uyumshil, Irtysh region, Pavlodar oblast, NE Kazakhstan. Picture: Oleg Lyakhov.
Mew Gull heinei adult / 2nd cycle-type, December 01 2015, Aktau, W Kazakhstan. Picture: Anna Yasko.

"kamtschatschensis" Mew Gull 2CY Nov - December

Mew Gull kamtschatschensis 2nd cycle (2CY), December 27 2013, Hanasaki Port - Nemuro, Japan - Hokkaido, Japan. Picture: Ian Davies.
Mew Gull kamtschatschensis 2nd cycle (2CY), December 30 2009, Choshi, Japan. Picture: Akimichi Ariga.
Mew Gull kamtschatschensis 2nd cycle (2CY), December 31 2009, Choshi, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. Picture: Seichoudoku.
Mew Gull kamtschatschensis 2nd cycle (2CY), November 26 2011, Choshi, Japan. Picture: Seichoudoku.
Mew Gull kamtschatschensis 2nd cycle (2CY), November 20 2009, Choshi, Japan. Picture: Seichoudoku.
Mew Gull kamtschatschensis 2nd cycle (2CY), December 10 2006, Kamisu, Japan. Picture: Seichoudoku.
Mew Gull kamtschatschensis 2nd cycle (2CY), November 03 2005, Kurohai Port, Japan. Picture: Akimichi Ariga.