Heuglin's Gull (L. heuglini / antelius)
(last update:
Heuglini 2cy, February 06 2008, Morjim Beach, Goa, India. Picture: Tom Tams.
See also Tom's website. Bird in active primary moult by early February should normally narrow the ID to the late moulting tundra species fuscus and heuglini. Rather slate grey upperparts favour the last. Late complete moult also visible in the wing-coverts, where the feathers in the carpal edge are still old and some outer lesser coverts are missing. Moult gap in the central greater coverts just closed, the feathers still dark grey, without bleaching towards brown colours or paler fringes. Upper tertials tt1-tt2 replaced longer ago, worn at the fringes and turning slightly brownish, tt3-tt4 replaced recently with the tips neatly white and tt5-tt6 missing, which nicely fits in the common moult sequence of the secondaries, as this is normally the last gap to close in this feather tract. White tips of new secondaries visible underneath the central greater coverts.
From the heuglini breeding sites on the Russian tundra, it is about 6.000 km south to reach Goa beach.
Below: estimated breeding distribution of Asian taxa (source: Liebers-Helbig et all, 2010).
