Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: 8-2-2007)

Herring Gull H-xxxxxx3cy (argenteus), February 06 2003, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.43N-01.37E).

A typical argenteus ringed in Belgium: Bruxelles H-??????. The blackish-brown second generation primaries lack a mirror on P10. The second generation tail has a broad dark tail-band.
Most of the new scapulars are more or less uniform pale 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.
This Belgian individual has moulted tertials and a few wing-coverts have been replaced to third generation feathers in the partial autumn moult: the third tertial is obvious fresher than the adjacent feathers, the greater coverts #3 have been replaced more recently as well, three median coverts and two lower lesser coverts have been replaced. The new feathers have fresh fringes and tips and especially the new median and lower lesser coverts stand out as grey feathers. The patterns of new tertials and greater coverts is very similar to the second generation feathers, although they are typically grey-based with faint sub-terminal markings and a pronounced shaft streak.