Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: 8-2-2007)

Herring Gull C033V3cy (argentatus), January 15 2004, Lubna rubbish dump, Poland (52°02'N 21°08'E).

A typical argentatus ringed C033V, ringed as pullus, July 01 2001 at Ylöjärvi, Häme, Finland (61°33'N 23°44'E ). The brown second generation primaries lack a mirror on P10. The second generation tail has a broad dark tail-band.
The new scapulars in northern argentatus may appear very second generation-like, but this individual shows grey feathers with a clear black shaft-streak. There are no uniform grey feathers, and all wing-coverts are brownish with a clear anchor pattern. Some grey scapulars appear abraded at the fringes already, especially in the upper scapulars and the back.
This individual has moulted the tertials #1-2 and some wing-coverts in the partial autumn moult as 2cy bird: median coverts #9-> and and some lower lesser coverts have been replaced. The new feathers have fresh fringes and tips. The patterns are very similar to the second generation feathers, although these new feathers are buffish-grey based.