Yellow-legged Gull - Geelpootmeeuw (L. michahellis): 3cy August

(last update: 10 december 2003)

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photo 7350: Yellow-legged Gull michahellis 3cy, August 09 2003, Etaples, France (50.42N, 1.34E).

An example of a delayed moulting individual, delayed in primary moult score compared to average 3cy michahellis.

 

Primary moult score of 3cy michahellis Yellow-legged Gull, at Etaples, NW France (50.43N, 01.37E) on August 11 2003.
.	P5 fg	P6 fg	P7 fg	P8 fg	n:
P8-P10	5	-	-	-	5
P9-P10	3	24	-	-	27
P10 old	-	10	6	-	16
no old P	-	-	2	-	2
n:	8	34	8	-	50
n = 50; m new P = 6.0; SD new P = 0.57; m old P = 1.7; SD old P = 0.70.

In 3cy birds, the old second generation flight-feathers are replaced by new, more adult-like third generation feathers. This is most obvious in the (outer) primaries. The old second generation P10 is brown, abraded and will be replaced by glossy-black fresh third generation P10 showing an obvious mirror. The primary moult stage in this bird: P7-10 are old second generation and P4 is full-grown. The landing bird is a 3cy Lesser Black-backed Gull, showing a small gap in the primaries (not uncommon in LBBG), with P6 almost fully grown and P8-P10 still old second generation.