Yellow-legged
Gull - Larus michahellis
(last update: October 08 2013)
Coordinators:
Delfín González
Gabriel Martín
Antonio Gutierrez
Amir Ben Dov
Mars Muusse
Yellow-legged Gull michahellis 1CY, October 01 2001, Le Portel, NW France.
Most michahellis shed at least some
wing-coverts in September, but here is an example of an individual with all
coverts and tertials still juvenile. A few inner median coverts seem to show a
different pattern compared to the adjacent feathers, but the state of wear
in the feathers is pretty much the same and these feathers are believed to
belong to the juvenile (first) generation.
This bird shows typical michahellis characteristics: extensive
moult in head, breast and under-parts, largely replaced upper and lower
scapulars, strong facial expression with the bill showing an obvious
gonydeal angle, greater coverts which become gradually darker to the
outer-wing, extensive dark centres in the tertials, strong posture.
