Herring Gull - Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: 08 december 2003)

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Herring Gull HT-xxx adult (argentatus), August 07 2002, Tampere, Finland (61.31N,23.43E).

An adult argentatus, ringed metal HT-xxx in Finland. Note the slight dark cast over the yellow iris and the clear yellow legs. HT-xxx is in active complete moult with the outer median coverts replaced and the inner median and outer greater coverts shed. The outer primaries P8-P10 are still old, with a large mirror on P10. P5 is fully grown and P6 is slightly longer than P5. The P10-mirror completely merges with the white tip. Note the coral-red orbital ring and the rather pale grey upper-parts.

From June to December, adult argentatus undergo a complete moult resulting in so-called "winter plumage". By August, the first neat streaks can be found on the crown and hind-neck. After the complete moult is finished by late autumn, the head will show extensive 'winter streaking', often neat fine streaking in sub-adult argentatus
By the end of the complete moult (sometimes mid-January in argentatus), the scapulars, mantle, all the wing-coverts, rectrices and remiges will be replaced. From June onwards, the new plain grey wing-coverts are moulted in, starting with the outermost median coverts. 

During the summer, the primaries are moulted. In adult argentatus, the last outer primary P10 will be fully grown by January (but also early December in southern populations?), a few weeks later than in West-European argenteus. First data from Tampere, Finland, indicate that 3cy argentatus from this region are not delayed in primary moult compared to argenteus

Adult northern argentatus show a different pattern in the outer primaries, compared to argenteus. In argentatus, especially from northern Scandinavia, the black marking on P5 is very limited and, if black on P5 is present, this black has diffuse edges. But often, these black sub-terminal markings are completely lacking on P5. In Baltic argentatus populations, black on P5 is confined to the outer-web, with sharply defined edges.
Argenteus
normally has a black sub-terminal band on the top of p10, dividing the tip from the mirror. If the black sub-terminal band on P10 is broken, the outer-web of p10 still shows black marking. Argentatus normally completely lacks sub-terminal markings, also on the outer-web of P10. Some argentatus completely lack black on the edge of the inner-web, creating a so-called "thayeri pattern". 

The iris is clearly yellow in summer in most argentatus, but some sub-adult argentatus will keep the iris amber to dark brown.