Little Gull Larus minutus

(last update: March 02, 2015)

Little Gull 2CY

IDENTIFICATION OF LITTLE GULL Larus minutus
(from: Malling Olsen, K. & Larsson, H. 2004 Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America.
London: Christopher Helm).

PART 2

VOICE

Short calls similar to Black Tern Chlidonias niger. kek-kek-kek, sometimes deeper when alarmed, recalling Jackdaw Corvus monedula. In display a rhythmical, high-pitched kjaae-ki… kjaae-ki…which is sometimes heard during spring migration and at breeding sites after breeding (H.J. Lehto in litt.).

MOULT

(pers. obs., N, W and C Europe) Adult moult complete into winter plumage Jul-Nov. Head and body Jul-Aug, earliest in failed breeders. Most of head renewed by early Sep; neck / hindneck feathers often still growing by Oct. Small minority mid-Sep have only started head moult, probably Russian birds, which may delay primary moult to Sep (Ginn & Melville 1983). Flight feathers Jul-Nov; in most-advanced birds, >50% of primary moult finished before migration from Baltic/ N Germany. 20-25% have completed primary moult late Sep; >50% have reached P6-P8 Sep, P9 early Nov; P10 often growing late Nov (skins in NHM, UZM, ZMA).

Adult moult to summer plumage partial Mar-May, including head and body (sometimes only partial on upperparts); head early-mid-Apr, starting with fore-head and chin. Forehead sometimes white-spotted into early May.

Juvenile moult to first-winter plumage partial Aug-Oct, including head, underparts, mantle, most scapulars and in Oct sometimes 1-2 tertials. Starts with mid-mantle Aug. In Sep 30-50% of mantle and scapulars are renewed. Mantle grey in 65-75% early Oct, 85-100% late Oct; last to be moulted are hindneck and upper mantle, which are unmoulted in 90% at end Oct. Delayed moult frequent; specimen from 23 November had only two grey mantle feathers (skin in ZMA); <l% still fully juvenile by Nov. T1-2 often Jan-Mar (as first step of moult into second-winter). Baker (1993) states that whole tail may be renewed in first autmn; we have not seen this.

Moult to first-summer partial Mar-May, including head and body. Head moult mostly incomplete and birds with winter head in first-summer not uncommon. Lesser coverts and some primary coverts early May. Tail moult continues (see above); by mid-May-mid-Jun, >50% have renewed T1-2 (in 10% even up to T5-6; small minority have completed tail moult in May).

Moult to second-winter complete Jun-Sep(Nov) (but see above for moult of tail, which starts even earlier), earlier than in adults. Primaries from Jun; may finish primary moult early Aug. Majority in S Scandinavia/ Germany have renewed flight feathers and tail early Sep; in small minority T(3)5-6 and P9-P10 not renewed until late Sep (early Nov). Head, body and coverts Jul-Aug. A few with traces of summer hood early Sep. Lesser coverts sometimes late Sep.

Subsequent moults similar to adults; in autumn sometimes earlier (Cramp & Simmons 1983).

February

May

June

August