Gull Research Organisation

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis (last update: October 08 2013)
Coordinators: Delfín González Gabriel Martín Antonio Gutierrez Amir Ben Dov Mars Muusse ORG SITE michahellis PDF michahellis rings atlantis lusitanius YLG 1CY May YLG 1CY June YLG 1CY July YLG 1CY August YLG 1CY September YLG 1CY October YLG 1CY November YLG 1CY December YLG 2CY January YLG 2CY February YLG 2CY March YLG 2CY April YLG 2CY May YLG 2CY June YLG 2CY July YLG 2CY August YLG 2CY September YLG 2CY October YLG 2CY November YLG 2CY December YLG 3CY January YLG 3CY February YLG 3CY March YLG 3CY April YLG 3CY May YLG 3CY June YLG 3CY July YLG 3CY August YLG 3CY September YLG 3CY October YLG 3CY November YLG 3CY December YLG sub-ad Jan YLG sub-ad Feb YLG sub-ad March YLG sub-ad April YLG sub-ad May YLG sub-ad June YLG sub-ad July YLG sub-ad Aug YLG sub-ad Sept YLG sub-ad Oct YLG sub-ad Nov YLG sub-ad Dec YLG adult January YLG adult February YLG adult March YLG adult April YLG adult May YLG adult June YLG adult July YLG adult August YLG adult September YLG adult October YLG adult November YLG adult December	Larus michahellis - adult November This website deals with the Yellow-legged Gull taxon michahellis, which is a common migrant from July to December in NW Europe. After extensive expansion of the breeding population during the last three decades, it nowadays can be found breeding in Belgium, the Netherlands and Britain in mixed couples with both Herring Gull (argenteus) and Lesser Black-backed Gull (graellsii). There are subtle differences between the populations from the Mediterranean, Atlantic coast of Portugal and Morocco and from the islands in the Atlantic. Most pronounced differences can be found in the taxon atlantis, now regarded as full species by some authors and birds along the Atlantic coast of the Iberian peninsular: lusitanius. Both atlantis and lusitanius are treated in their own sections on this website. Moult of remiges and rectrices Average adult michahellis have finished the complete and partial wing-covert moult by the end of October and moult is normally suspended throughout November and December. A few birds which were mouling the inner median or inner greater coverts may just finish this moult by early November. By the end of December, most birds show wear in the coverts again, most noticeable at the inner coverts. Single feathers of the scapulars may be missing and some birds may continue moult in this tract at a very low pace. Moult in the remiges and rectrices Early November it's still possible to find adults with P10 not fully-grown; in these birds primary P10 has to grow an inch or two. Rectrices and secondary moult was finished by the end of October. Moult of the body feathers The body feather moult was finished in September. As can be seen in the image from November, the feathers on the head may show obvious streaks, although this bird from Britain is extraordinary in the amount of streaking. Normally adult michahellis start to turn completely "white-headed" by December. Bare parts In full adult michahellis, the colour of the legs hardly turns paler in winter. There may be some dark markings on the cutting edge of the bill or on the gonydeal angle in otherwise full adult birds.	*Yellow-legged Gull (michahellis) 19CY-25CY C 53597* Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage.
		Yellow-legged Gull lusitanius 2CY, 7CY & 8CY AJ1N 2006, 2011 & 2012, Gijón, Spain.
		*Yellow-legged Gull lusitanius* adult CZA** November 22 2012 & March 09 2013, Figueira da Foz, Portugal. Photo: José Viana & António A. Gonçalves.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult ISCZ** November 14 2008, N. Germany. Picture: Matthias Haupt.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult IHXV** November 07 2006, Leipzig, Germany. Picture: Jürgen Steudtner.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* 4CY & 9CY INLD** October 2001, September & November 2006, Chioggia, Venezia, Italy. Picture: Marco Basso & Menotti Passarella.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* S273 adult,** November 05 2014, Jakuševec-Zagreb, Croatia. Picture: ringing team Luka Jurinovic.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult S883** November 07 2006, Leipzig, Germany. Picture: Jürgen Streudtner.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult SHY4** November 27 2006, Leipzig, Germany. Picture: Jürgen Streudtner.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* 10CY 511H** November 14 2012, Poreč landfill, Croatia. Picture: ringing team Luka Jurinovic.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult 537H** November 14 2012, Poreč landfill, Croatia. Picture: ringing team Luka Jurinovic.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 24 2012, Ashdod, Israel. Picture: Amir Ben Dov.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 09 2015, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 11 2015, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. Picture: J-M Sauvage.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 23 2012, Ashdod, Israel. Picture: Amir Ben Dov.
		Lesser Black-backed Gull adult, December 31 2010, Ashdod, Israel. Pictures: Amir Ben Dov.
		Yellow-legged Gull michahellis adult, November 24-26 2006, Etaples / Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 24-26 2006, Etaples / Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 24-26 2006, Etaples / Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 13 2009, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 2001, Evesham, Worcs., Britain. Picture by Peter Stewart.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 04 2010, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Photo: Herman Bouman.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 01 2002, Westkapelle, the Netherlands. Compare with argenteus and argentatus.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 17 2002, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 22 2003, Rosas, NE Spain.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 23 2003, Rosas, NE Spain.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 24 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 24 2003, Sète, S France.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* group,** November 24 2003, Sète, S France.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 24 2003, Sète, S France.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France. A male.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France. Female, partner of male in image 446.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France. A male.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France. A female.
		*Yellow-legged Gull michahellis* adult,** November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France.

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis

Moult of remiges and rectrices

Moult in the remiges and rectrices

Moult of the body feathers

Bare parts