Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: 8-2-2007)

(2 images) Herring Gull 5.361.1xx3cy (argenteus), February 04 2002, IJmuiden, the Netherlands (52.27N-04.33E).

A typical argenteus ringed in the Netherlands: Arnhem Ringstation 5.361.1??, probably a local bird and ringed in 2000 at IJmuiden, the Netherlands. The brown second generation primaries lack a mirror on P10. The second generation tail has a broad dark tail-band.
The new scapulars are more or less uniform grey with just a few patterned brownish feathers left in the rear upper and lower scapulars. Some grey scapulars appear abraded at the fringes already, especially in the upper scapulars.
This Dutch individual has moulted tertials and wing-coverts to third generation feathers in the partial autumn moult: the three upper tertials have been replaced, greater coverts #1-3 have been replaced, all median coverts and four lower lesser coverts have been replaced. The new feathers have fresh fringes and tips. The patterns is very similar to the second generation feathers, although most are typically grey-based with faint sub-terminal markings and a pronounced shaft streak.