Heuglin's Gull (L. heuglini / antelius)
(last update:
Heuglini 2cy, February 06 2008, Morjim Beach, Goa, India. Picture: Tom Tams.
See also Tom's website. Bird with a distinct collar and white head. Scapulars and part of the median and lower lesser coverts replaced, but all flight feathers and greater coverts still juvenile. Greater covert tips still in relatively good condition, which is often the case in northern (tundra) 2cy gulls (vs birds from the steppe, like e.g. barabensis).
From the heuglini breeding sites on the Russian tundra, it is about 6.000 km south to reach Goa beach.
Below: estimated breeding distribution of Asian taxa (source: Liebers-Helbig et all, 2010).
