Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: 7-3-2007)

(2 images) Herring Gull 4cy? H-120566 (argenteus), August 12 2004, Westkapelle, the Netherlands (51.33N - 03.25E).

A bird with a Belgian ring: Bruxelles H-120566, possibly ringed at the beach of Oostende in the previous year. Primaries P8-P10 are still old (third?) generation, P5 is fully grown and P6 is almost at the same length as P5. Most of the median and lower lesser coverts, the inner greater coverts, some lesser coverts and the upper tertials have been replaced in the complete moult. The outer greater coverts are typical old barred feathers, bleached and worn. The tail-feathers are still old. During the summer, the primaries are moulted to third generation. The first inner primaries are dropped by late May and the outer primary P10 will be dropped by late August. The primary moult is completed by late-October in argenteus,eathers will be white, with clear immature black markings. The iris is pale brown-yellow.