Heuglin's Gull (L. heuglini / antelius)
(last update:
Heuglini / barabensis sub-adult, February 12 2011, Morjim Beach, Goa, India. Picture: Tom Tams.
See also Tom's website. Upperparts a shade of grey paler than other birds photographed by Tom under same conditions. This would advocate the taxon barabensis over heuglini. Barabensis is the southern relative of heuglini, breeding largely in the Novosibirsk region.
Barabensis is a steppe breeding gull like cachinnans, with an early moult scheme. This could explain the worn primaries by February, shown in this individual. The central and outer secondaries look remarkable fresh, compared to P6-P7, which are normally replaced at the same time.
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).
