Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: 6-2-2007)

Herring Gull 3cy V3T3 (argentatus), October 28 2004, Westkapelle, the Netherlands (51.33N-03.25E). Picture Pim Wolf.

A bird with a Danish ring: yellow V3T3. Primaries P1-P9 are fully grown. Most of the wing-coverts show an obvious brown hue and are worn at the fringes. The upper tertial, two inner greater coverts and two inner median coverts are replaced once again in the partial autumn moult.

From June to October, a complete moult will bring 3cy argenteus in so-called "third winter" plumage. By October, when the complete moult is finished, the head will show extensive 'winter streaking', mottled brown contrasting with the white breast as in an executioner's hood. The scapulars and mantle are pale adult-like grey.
By the end of the complete moult (October), all wing-coverts have been replaced, most to plain grey feathers. Immature patterns can often be found in the lower tertials, greater coverts and outer lesser coverts (the carpal edge).
During the summer, the primaries were 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, when the new outer primary P10 is fully grown. The third generation primaries are clearly adult-like, with the inner primaries P1-P4 plain grey with a white tip. The outer-wing shows a clear black triangle, extending on the greater primary coverts. From P4 outwards, the primaries show a black sub-terminal band. The white primary tips are obvious in the inner primaries, but often smaller on P9 and P10. P10 has a small white mirror (lacking in some birds). The new tail-feathers will be white, with clear immature black markings. The iris is pale brown-yellow.