Larus armenicus

(last update: 7-9-2010)

Home

armenicus 1cy July
armenicus 1cy August
armenicus 1cy Sept
armenicus 1cy Oct
armenicus 1cy Nov
armenicus 1cy Dec

armenicus 2cy Jan
armenicus 2cy Febr
armenicus 2cy March
armenicus 2cy April
armenicus 2cy May
armenicus 2cy June
armenicus 2cy July
armenicus 2cy August
armenicus 2cy Sept
armenicus 2cy Oct
armenicus 2cy Nov
armenicus 2cy Dec

armenicus 3cy Jan
armenicus 3cy Febr
armenicus 3cy March
armenicus 3cy April
armenicus 3cy May
armenicus 3cy June
armenicus 3cy July
armenicus 3cy August
armenicus 3cy Sept
armenicus 3cy Oct
armenicus 3cy Nov
armenicus 3cy Dec

armenicus sub-ad Jan
armenicus sub-ad Febr
armenicus sub-ad March
armenicus sub-ad April
armenicus sub-ad May
armenicus sub-ad June
armenicus sub-ad July
armenicus sub-ad August
armenicus sub-ad Sept
armenicus sub-ad Oct
armenicus sub-ad Nov
armenicus sub-ad Dec

armenicus adult Jan
armenicus adult Febr
armenicus adult March
armenicus adult April
armenicus adult May
armenicus adult June
armenicus adult July
armenicus adult August
armenicus adult Sept
armenicus adult Oct
armenicus adult Nov
armenicus adult Dec

armenicus info
armenicus iris speckling
.

Larus armenicus 3cy, 18 August 2010, Maagan Michael, Israel. Picture: Amir Ben Dov.

Bird in active complete moult. P5 fully grown (exceeding P4 is classified "fully grown"), P6 about halfway its final length, P7 missing, P8-P10 still old second generation. A relatively small moult gap. Old outer primaries very worn and bleached. New feathers in wing coverts, mantle and scapulars adult-like grey. This individual follows the common moult sequence in large gulls, with the median covert row now replaced (pale silvery grey) and most of the greater coverts missing, exposing the secondaries underneath. Primary moult has arrived at P5, with P6 halfway, and this is commonly the moment that the outermost secondary (S1) and the central tailfeathers (R1) are dropped (but here still present in this bird). S1 is growing at this moment; all other secondaries are still old.

The secondaries will be replaced inwards, in a first wave towards the body. When new secondaries grow in (from S1 first, next to P1), a the innermost secondaries will be dropped in a second wave, now from the body moulting outwards. The two waves will meet at about S16-S18, which will be the last new secondaries growing in to close the gap.

The rectrices (tail-feathers) will be replaced centrifugal, hence first the central tail-feather pair (R1) and in a wave outwards. In this bird, the central tail-feathers may well be missing.