Mew Gull Larus canus canus; heinei; kamtschatschensis; brachyrhynchus

(last update: March 12, 2012)

Mew Gull SVS 7147448 3cy, 02 February 1997, Malmö, Sweden. [published as 3cy, but in fact 2cy bird]

Figure 11: 7147448 (362/95,5) retarded two-year old male (3CY), 02 February 1997. Note second generation like pattern on inner primaries. [comment PA: this bird has a small mirror on P10 and central primaries show an adult-like pattern. Hence this bird strongly resembles 2nd cycle. However, the complete median and lesser covert panel consist of juvenile feathers, worn feathers, but condition of these coverts still point to 1st cycle bird. This pattern on primaries turns up sometimes on 1st cycle bird].

Ageing of first and second plumage birds is often straight forward, but here is one bird which is difficult to age (fig 11 below). It probably is a retarded second-year bird, which have retained some of the first-year feathers. Another slow developing bird is shown in fig 12, but normally the differences between first and second year plumages are obvious.

Figure from:
Is it possible to age subadult Mew Gulls Larus canus?
by: Kenneth Bengtsson & Lennarth Blomquist, publication in: Anser 2-42(2003): p 73-92.