Heuglin's Gull (L. heuglini / antelius)
(last update:
Heuglini sub-adult, February 02-09 2009, United Arab Emirates. Picture: Chris Gibbins.
Bird at the beach. By February, sub-adult birds (like adults) are often still replacing the outer primaries P9-P10; or, when moult is finished, these primaries look perfectly fresh at the tips. Grey tone is often difficult to determine (especially in bright sunny conditions), but look for comparison to other adults in the pictures, which are either cachinnans or barabensis (rather easily told apart by jizz).
In this bird, P9 fully grown, P10 tip already visible. Small white tips to primaries. Clear iris, no obvious speckling. Bill dull coloured, straw-yellow with broad black band, which completely obscures the red gonys-spot. Legs flesh-coloured, no (faint) yellow tones. Head streaking concentrated in hind-neck, where blochy, but finer streaks on crown and around eye. Note faint black line in tail.
