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 sub-adult, July 10 2002, Etaples, France (50.43N,01.37E).

Sub-adult michahellis with active moult in the tail-feathers and some black on the cutting edge of the lower mandible. The white tip on P10 doesn't merge with the mirror but is separated by a broad sub-terminal band. Some features may indicate this bird is in 4CY:

  • The bill has an obvious black mark on the upper mandible near the gonydeal angle.
  • The red spot on the gonydeal angle doesn't reach the upper mandible. In older birds this red spot extends on the upper mandible. 
  • The iris is pale yellow, unlike the deep yellow iris in most older birds (5+cy birds).
  • The wing-coverts have a brown hue, especially visible in the outer greater coverts, median coverts and lesser coverts in the carpal edge.
  • The tail show some small black spots on the tips of the tail-feathers.