Larus fuscus fuscus 3cy C6XM, July 16 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.33N 24.59E).
C6XM was ringed in Hauho, Finland;
ringed as pullus on June 30 2001 by Risto Juvaste.
Ring
records
at Tampere landfill:
2003-07-16.
Larus fuscus fuscus in 2cy often returns
with completely replaced primaries and secondaries. In 3cy, fuscus more
often shows a clear division between fresh inner primaries and older outer
primaries, the inner primaries often showing neat white tips and the outer
primaries often second generation-like with rounded tips and paler bleached
brown. The arrested moult in the primaries is often reflected in the secondaries
and (to a less extend) in the tail-feathers as well. The older tail-feathers
(often R5 is older) still show a broad dark sub-terminal band.
3cy fuscus often have some black markings on the bill, which is otherwise
much adult-like, with a clear red gonydeal spot. The colour of the naked parts
are adult-like as well.
The scapulars in 3cy are often completely adult-like, lacking internal patterns;
plain blackish grey with a mahogany hue on the older feathers. Most wing-coverts
and tertials are adult-like blackish grey as well, but often 3cy birds show some
very bleached pale brown wing-coverts, normally in the greater covert bar and in
the upper rows of the lesser coverts. These bleached wing-coverts accentuate the
jumpy sequence in the last wing-covert moult cycles, as there is often no clear
pattern in location of these bleached feathers. Head and body feathers normally
are snow-white by July.
C6XM was ringed in
Finland, now in 3cy. This 3cy fuscus
has arrested primary moult prior to northbound migration: there is a clear
division in the visible outer primaries between P7 and P8. The three outer primaries
(P8-P10) are bleached brown and
P10 has only a very small mirror. The other visible primaries, P5-P7, are much darker
with small white tips.
Note the limited dark markings on the bill
and the dark iris; indications for 3cy birds.