Gulls in central Russia
(last update: January 2015)
Grzegorz Neubauer (Poland)
Sasha Esergepov (Russia)
Selitba Lake, Penza Oblast, Russia (53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E).
Fresh water lake, created by peat extraction in the late 19th-early 20th century. Wide reed bed margins situated in agricultural area and birch forests in the steppe zone of Penza Oblast. So far (period 2010-2013) a total of 86 birds have been ringed at this location, of which 70 birds have colour rings. Since 2011, annual colour-ringing is performed by V.V. Frolov and L. Plusnina with the team of Young Ornithologists Club from the Penza city."
below: gull colony at Selitba Lake, Penza Oblast, Russia (53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E). Pictures 1-3: June 2010, Grzegorz Neubauer.
Selitba Lake, Penza oblast, Russia "Greg region 2". This colony is in reed beds at a shallow lake in the forest-steppe zone, and is a mixed one. That is, cachinnans and barabensis-type gulls are the two taxa which breed there, at times in mixed pairs and some intermediate types are also present.
Probably heuglini does not breed this far south (its a tundra breeding species), though few birds were nearly as dark as heuglini (clearly darker than baraba's from SW Siberia). When the chicks were ringed, several alarming adults flew overhead, but it is impossible to tell which is the parents, and therefore which taxon the pullus belongs to. Observations from ringed birds, once they are adult, should confirm taxon.
above: ringing locations in central Russia.
1. Bolshoye Boloto
2. Sitniki
3. Cheboksarskye Vdhr
4. Karamyshevo Rybchoz
5.
Obalykol Lake
6.
Selitba Lake
below: recoveries of Selitba birds. Four birds from this location have been recorded so far; and only birds from this colony have migrated due south into the Middle East. Two birds in Israel (PVNB & PVSV) and one bird in Bahrain (PVPS).
Gull ssp 1CY PVNB June 2011, Russia. Picture: Larisa Plusnina. From: Selitba Lake, Penza oblast, Russia, central point of the lake: 53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E.
Gull ssp 2CY PVNB December 2012, Israel. Picture: Amir Ben Dov. From: Selitba Lake, Penza oblast, Russia, central point of the lake: 53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E.
Gull ssp 1CY PVPS June 2011, Russia. Picture: Larisa Plusnina. From: Selitba Lake, Penza oblast, Russia, central point of the lake: 53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E.
Gull ssp 2CY PVPS October 30 2012, Bahrain. Picture: Howard King.
From: Selitba Lake, Penza oblast, Russia, central point of the lake: 53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E.
Gull ssp 3CY PVSV January 09 2013, Ashdod, Israel (31°50'52"N 034°42'25"E). Picture: Amir Ben Dov. From: Selitba Lake, Penza oblast, Russia, central point of the lake: 53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E.
Gull ssp 3CY PTAH January 08 2016, Ashdod, Israel (31°50'52"N 034°42'25"E). Picture: Amir Ben Dov. From: Selitba Lake, Penza oblast, Russia, central point of the lake: 53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E.
cachinnans type adult, June 2010, Selitba Lake, Penza Oblast, Russia (53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E). Picture: Grzegorz Neubauer.
cachinnans type adult, June 2010, Selitba Lake, Penza Oblast, Russia (53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E). Picture: Grzegorz Neubauer..jpg)
dark type adult, June 2010, Selitba Lake, Penza Oblast, Russia (53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E). Picture: Grzegorz Neubauer.
dark type adult, June 2010, Selitba Lake, Penza Oblast, Russia (53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E). Picture: Grzegorz Neubauer.
dark type adult, June 2010, Selitba Lake, Penza Oblast, Russia (53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E). Picture: Grzegorz Neubauer..jpg)
dark type adult, June 2010, Selitba Lake, Penza Oblast, Russia (53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E). Picture: Grzegorz Neubauer.
dark type adult, June 2010, Selitba Lake, Penza Oblast, Russia (53°10'11.04"N, 46°50'9.84"E). Picture: Grzegorz Neubauer.