photo 474: Yellow-legged Gull michahellis
sub-adult, November 27 2003, Port la Nouvelle, S France.
In all respects an example of an adult michahellis:
the orbital ring is red, the iris
is clear yellow without speckling, the bill and legs are yellow and
the red gonydeal spot continues on the upper mandible. But note the black band on the bill, which is not uncommon in
adult birds in winter, but when this much black is present, it
indicates near-adultness. The mirror on P10 is separated from the white tip
by a complete sub-terminal band. Michahellis shows much black along the
inner edge of P10, unlike cachinnans and argentatus. By November, the primary moult is
completed.
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