Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: 8-2-2007)

Herring Gull 5.xxx.xxx3cy (argenteus), February 21 2003, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.

A typical argenteus ringed in the Netherlands: Arnhem Ringstation 5.??. The brown second generation primaries lack a mirror on P10. The second generation tail has a broad dark tail-band.
The new scapulars are more or less uniform grey with just a few patterned brownish feathers left in the rear upper and lower scapulars. Some grey scapulars appear abraded at the fringes already, especially in the upper scapulars. Still, many scapulars show an obvious second-generation like pattern.
This Dutch individual has moulted upper tertials and wing-coverts to third generation feathers in the partial autumn moult: the two upper tertials have been replaced, greater coverts #1-3 have been replaced, the innermost and outer median coverts and outer lower lesser coverts have been replaced. The new feathers look fresher compared to adjacent feathers. The patterns is very similar to the second generation feathers, although most are typically grey-based with faint sub-terminal markings and a pronounced shaft streak.