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, October 01 2001, Le Portel, France.
Primary P10 is fully grown and all the
secondaries and rectrices are second generation and complete. Hence, the
complete moult has ended. After this complete moult, a partial moult has
included some of the tertials and wing-coverts.
The upper two tertials have been replaced and the third and the fifth are
growing. The new tertials are adult-like grey, although the white tips are
not as prominent as in full adult tertials. The tail-feathers show neat
white tips and the outer tail-feather R6 has only limited black on the
outer-web. Most of the scapulars are grey now, just a few lower scapulars
have a brown centre and abraded white fringes.
In the partial moult, the inner two greater coverts have been replaced for
greyish feathers. Many median coverts have been replaced as well. In many michahellis,
like in this individual, it's the sixth and seventh median covert still
showing a second generation like pattern. Most immature patterned coverts
can be found in the outermost lesser coverts, in the carpal edge. The
head-feathers were moulted recently, now showing very neat fine dark
shaft-streaks.
