Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis

(last update: October 08 2013)

Coordinators:
Delfín González
Gabriel Martín
Antonio Gutierrez
Amir Ben Dov
Mars Muusse

Larus michahellis - adult November

This website deals with the Yellow-legged Gull taxon michahellis, which is a common migrant from July to December in NW Europe. After extensive expansion of the breeding population during the last three decades, it nowadays can be found breeding in Belgium, the Netherlands and Britain in mixed couples with both Herring Gull (argenteus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (graellsii). There are subtle differences between the populations from the Mediterranean, Atlantic coast of Portugal and Morocco and from the islands in the Atlantic. Most pronounced differences can be found in the taxon atlantis, now regarded as full species by some authors and birds along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian peninsular: lusitanius. Both atlantis and lusitanius are treated in their own sections on this website.

Moult of remiges and rectrices

Average adult michahellis have finished the complete and partial wing-covert moult by the end of October and moult is normally suspended throughout November and December. A few birds which were mouling the inner median or inner greater coverts may just finish this moult by early November. By the end of December, most birds show wear in the coverts again, most noticeable at the inner coverts.
Single feathers of the scapulars may be missing and some birds may continue moult in this tract at a very low pace.

Moult in the remiges and rectrices

Early November it's still possible to find adults with P10 not fully-grown; in these birds primary P10 has to grow an inch or two. Rectrices and secondary moult was finished by the end of October. 

Moult of the body feathers

The body feather moult was finished in September. As can be seen in the image from November, the feathers on the head may show obvious streaks, although this bird from Britain is extraordinary in the amount of streaking. Normally adult michahellis start to turn completely "white-headed" by December. 

Bare parts

In full adult michahellis, the colour of the legs hardly turns paler in winter. There may be some dark markings on the cutting edge of the bill or on the gonydeal angle in otherwise full adult birds.

ad LBBG in winter, ringed in the Netherlands. (65647 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull (michahellis) 19CY-25CY C 53597 Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage.
2cy michahellis in August, ringed in Switzerland.Yellow-legged Gull lusitanius 2CY, 7CY & 8CY AJ1N 2006, 2011 & 2012, Gijón, Spain.
2cy michahellis in August, ringed in Switzerland.Yellow-legged Gull lusitanius adult CZA November 22 2012 & March 09 2013, Figueira da Foz, Portugal. Photo: José Viana & António A. Gonçalves.
2cy michahellis in August, ringed in Switzerland.Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult ISCZ November 14 2008, N. Germany. Picture: Matthias Haupt.
2cy michahellis in August, ringed in Switzerland.Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult IHXV November 07 2006, Leipzig, Germany. Picture: Jürgen Steudtner.
2cy michahellis in August, ringed in Switzerland.Yellow-legged Gull michahellis 4CY & 9CY INLD October 2001, September & November 2006, Chioggia, Venezia, Italy. Picture: Marco Basso & Menotti Passarella.
Yellow-legged Gull michahellis S273 adult, November 05 2014, Jakuševec-Zagreb, Croatia. Picture: ringing team Luka Jurinovic.
2cy michahellis in August, ringed in Switzerland.Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult S883 November 07 2006, Leipzig, Germany. Picture: Jürgen Streudtner.
2cy michahellis in August, ringed in Switzerland.Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult SHY4 November 27 2006, Leipzig, Germany. Picture: Jürgen Streudtner.
2cy michahellis in August, ringed in Switzerland.Yellow-legged Gull michahellis 10CY 511H November 14 2012, Poreč landfill, Croatia. Picture: ringing team Luka Jurinovic.
2cy michahellis in August, ringed in Switzerland.Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult 537H November 14 2012, Poreč landfill, Croatia. Picture: ringing team Luka Jurinovic.
adult michahellis in April. (61415 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 24 2012, Ashdod, Israel. Picture: Amir Ben Dov.
Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 09 2015, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 11 2015, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. Picture: J-M Sauvage.
adult michahellis in April. (61415 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 23 2012, Ashdod, Israel. Picture: Amir Ben Dov.
adult michahellis in April. (61415 bytes)Lesser Black-backed Gull adult, December 31 2010, Ashdod, Israel. Pictures: Amir Ben Dov.

Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 24-26 2006, Etaples / Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France.
Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 24-26 2006, Etaples / Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France.
Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 24-26 2006, Etaples / Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (56596 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 13 2009, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (46811 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 2001, Evesham, Worcs., Britain. Picture by Peter Stewart.
adult michahellis in July. (62792 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 04 2010, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Photo: Herman Bouman.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (68135 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 01 2002, Westkapelle, the Netherlands. Compare with argenteus and argentatus.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (58973 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 17 2002, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (56596 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 22 2003, Rosas, NE Spain.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (56559 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 23 2003, Rosas, NE Spain.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (65190 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 24 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (67275 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 24 2003, Sète, S France.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (63126 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis group, November 24 2003, Sète, S France.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (58486 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 24 2003, Sète, S France.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (48178 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France. A male.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (61929 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France. Female, partner of male in image 446.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (70300 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France. A male.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (55401 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France. A female.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (55907 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France.