Lesser Black-backed Gull (graellsii & intermedius)

(last update: 14-11-2017 )

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LBBG rings

lbbg 1cy May
lbbg 1cy June
lbbg 1cy July
lbbg 1cy August
lbbg 1cy September
lbbg 1cy October
lbbg 1cy November
lbbg 1cy December

lbbg 2cy January
lbbg 2cy February
lbbg 2cy March
lbbg 2cy April
lbbg 2cy May
lbbg 2cy June
lbbg 2cy July
lbbg 2cy August
lbbg 2cy September
lbbg 2cy October
lbbg 2cy November
lbbg 2cy December

lbbg 3cy January
lbbg 3cy February
lbbg 3cy March
lbbg 3cy April
lbbg 3cy May
lbbg 3cy June
lbbg 3cy July
lbbg 3cy August
lbbg 3cy September
lbbg 3cy October
lbbg 3cy November
lbbg 3cy December

lbbg sub-ad January
lbbg sub-ad February
lbbg sub-ad March
lbbg sub-ad April
lbbg sub-ad May
lbbg sub-ad June
lbbg sub-ad July
lbbg sub-ad August
lbbg sub-ad Sept
lbbg sub-ad Oct
lbbg sub-ad Nov
lbbg sub-ad Dec

lbbg adult January
lbbg adult February
lbbg adult March
lbbg adult April
lbbg adult May
lbbg adult June
lbbg adult July
lbbg adult August
lbbg adult September
lbbg adult October
lbbg adult November
lbbg adult December

sub-adult (4cy / 5cy): August

Regarding moult pace and strategy, sub-adults don't differ much from full adults. Sometimes it's hard to age sub-adults correct, but on average, some or all of the following features can be found in 4cy:

  • relatively pale bare part coloration compared to full adults,
  • black markings on the old rectrices, often isolated limited black spots near the centre,
  • p10 with a small mirror, p9 lacking such a mirror and very small white tips on the top of the outer primaries. By August, these tips are worn away and the primaries are brownish, strongly bleached,
  • the grey centres of the old secondaries show a brown hue and the tips are abraded,
  • tertials, outer greater coverts or outer lesser coverts (in the carpal edge) show old adult-like feathers with a relative strong brown hue, obvious much stronger than expected in full adult coverts.

Used as a single characteristic, the evidence is not very convincing, but individuals that combine these characteristics are probably 4cy or 5cy birds.

 

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U.K.: sub-adult graellsii.
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Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii 4CN0 3CY-4CY, February 2016, October 2016 & August 2017, Matosinhos beach, Matosinhos, Portugal. Picture: José Marques.
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Belgium: sub-adult graellsii.
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sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii ACAR 5CY, August 15 2003, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (103044 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii AMAK 5CY, August 01 2003, Zeebrugge, Belgium.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (79257 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii BBAF 5CY, August 01 2003, Zeebrugge, Belgium. 
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (84626 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii BLAR 5CY, August 01 2003, Zeebrugge, Belgium.
Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii DWAM 4CY & 6CY, August 2009 & April 2011, Calais, NW France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage.
Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii TGA.D 4CY, August 09 2014, Boulogne sur mer, NW France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage.

sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (77562 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsiiBLB L-87262 4CY, August 01 2003, Zeebrugge, Belgium.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (85229 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii BLB L-92876 4CY, August 01 2003, Zeebrugge, Belgium.
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the Netherlands: sub-adult graellsii.
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sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii YK 4CY, June 2009 & August 2010, Barneveld, The Netherlands
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii KUAH 4CY, August 20 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (85229 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii NLA 5.412.453 4CY, August 14 2008, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (85229 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii NLA 5.364.457 4CY, August 11 2006, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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Germany: sub-adult graellsii.
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1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull graellsii H116 4cy, August 25 20910, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
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Denmark: sub-adult intermedius.
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1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull intermedius V6TE 4cy, July 2012 & August 2014, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Picture: Herman Bouman.
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Denmark: sub-adult intermedius.
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1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes) Lesser Black-backed Gull intermedius JC5V 4CY, August 22 2015, IJmuiden, the Netherlands. Picture: Maarten van Kleinwee & Mars Muusse.
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unringed sub-adult LBBG.
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sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 20 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 20 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, P1 just shed, P2-P10 old.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 22 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P7-P10 old.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 22 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P2/P5.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 22 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P3/P5.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 20 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P3/P5.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 20 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P3/P6.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 20 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P2/P4.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 22 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P2/P6.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 20 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P3/P6.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 22 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P4/P7.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 22 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P5/P8.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 20 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P3/P6.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 20 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P3/P6.
sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 22 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P4/P7.
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arrested moult in sub-adult LBBG.
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sub-adult LBBG in August, ringed in Belgium. (82012 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 20 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
P1-P2 missing. Moult division at P7. Mirror on P10.
Classic pattern for 3cy fuscus. Elongated bird, probably 3cy fuscus.
7848subad.jpg (68382 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, August 15 2003, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
Lesser Black-backed Gull 4cy, July 18 2013, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P2/P5.
Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, July 09 2013, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P2/P5.
Immature fuscus-like LBBG
Lesser Black-backed Gull sub-adult, July 14 2001, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
Note the tips on the outer primaries.