Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis

(last update: May 16, 2011)

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

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.

L. michahellis: adult November & December

General description:

Moult in the wing coverts:

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 & 21cy C 53597August, September & November, Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage.

adult michahellis in April. (61415 bytes)Yellow-legged Gull (L. michahellis) adult, December 31 2010, Ashdod, Israel. Picture: Amir Ben Dov.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (56596 bytes)michahellis adult, November 25 2006, Etaples, NW France.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (46811 bytes)michahellis adult, November 2001, Evesham, Worcs., Britain. Picture by Peter Stewart.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (68135 bytes)michahellis adult, November 01 2002, Westkapelle, the Netherlands. Compare with argenteus and argentatus.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (58973 bytes)michahellis adult, November 17 2002, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (56596 bytes)Photo 261: michahellis adult, November 22 2003, Rosas, NE Spain.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (56559 bytes)Photo 332: michahellis adult, November 23 2003, Rosas, NE Spain.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (65190 bytes)Photo 377: michahellis adults, November 24 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (67275 bytes)Photo 404: michahellis adult, November 24 2003, Sète, S France.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (63126 bytes)Photo 415: michahellis group, November 24 2003, Sète, S France.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (58486 bytes)Photo 418: michahellis adult, November 24 2003, Sète, S France.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (48178 bytes)Photo 446: michahellis adult, November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France. A male.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (61929 bytes)Photo 453: 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)Photo 450: michahellis adult, November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France. A male.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (55401 bytes)Photo 477: michahellis adult, November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France. A female.
adult michahellis Yellow-legged Gull in November. (55907 bytes)Photo 484: michahellis adult, November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France.