Yellow-legged
Gull - Larus michahellis
(last update: October 08 2013)
Coordinators:
Delfín González
Gabriel Martín
Antonio Gutierrez
Amir Ben Dov
Mars Muusse
Yellow-legged Gull michahellis 2CY, January 03 2002, Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France (50.44N,1.35E).
An example of a strong and powerful male michahellis. The head shows fine streaking and the base of the bill has turned slightly
paler, pink and the tip of the bill turns white. The tail and all the
tertials are completely juvenile. Moult in the wing-coverts and in the
scapulars is in progress: the recently moulted rear lower scapulars show
very neat and fresh broad white fringes. The lowest row of upper scapulars
was moulted some time ago and the buff based centres are bleached and
appears white now. But the lower scapulars were acquired in a later stage
and those feathers still have the centres buff-grey.
Several wing-coverts were moulted late summer - early autumn (as can be
seen in the 1CY September Section and October Section). Those
early moulted coverts have the fringes worn away by January; see e.g. the
inner 6 median coverts. Greater covert #2 is an example of a slightly
later acquired feather with at least the white fringe on the tip still
present. One central median covert is the last moulted feather and this
covert clearly shows the neat white fringe and the buff-brown centre.
Moult is still in progress with the innermost greater covert missing and a
few inner lesser coverts shed.
