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 x Great Black-backed Gull marinus H8J7 2CY, May - November 2013, Germany & France.
On the roof of Posthof near Frankfurt Central Station, an interesting colony, interesting both in location and in compostion, developed over the lats few years, and much of this development has been the subject in contributions of HGON - Birdnet. Three new gull species of breeding birds were added to the list of Hesse in recent years.
First, in 2008, the first pair of Herring Gulls started breeding.
Since 2009, a Great Black-backed Gull nested successfully with a Yellow-legged Gull, and in fact this is the first evidence of hybridization of both species at all.
In 2013, Caspian Gull (or a Caspian Gull hybrid) was recorded here, which also reared two youngs in a mixed breeding with Yellow-legged Gull.
below: Yellow-legged Gull michahellis x Great Black-backed Gull marinus H8J7 2CY, November 01 2013, Wintzenbach, France. Picture: N. Hoffmann.
Hybrid y-H8J7 was recorded 140 km south from the native colony, in Wintzenbach. At this location, also present was hybrid y-H98T.
below: Yellow-legged Gull michahellis x Great Black-backed Gull marinus H8J7 2CY, May 2013, Frankfurt, Germany. Picture: Ingo Rösler.
