Pale-eyed Caspian Gulls in Denmark

[RSNaarhus]

Hi

I would like to have a second opinion on these two pale-eyed adult gulls, both of which I have labelled Caspian Gulls based on jizz, leg-colour, shape of bill, mantle-colour etc.

How normal are such birds in e.g. Romania?

For more pictures of the bird from december see the bottom of this blogpost: http://birdingnj.blogspot.com/2011/12/julen-2011.html.

For more pictures of the bird from september see this blogpost: http://birdingnj.blogspot.com/2011/11/a ... -mage.html.

Also I would like an assessment of this bird: http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=s ... e_id=10607 that shows several pro-cachinnans features in my opinion.

Best wishes

Rune Sø Neergaard

[lou bertalan]

hi rune,

they are quite common in the danube delta. at least 30% have no visible peppering in the iris but might have a slightly darker iris than e.g. mich or tatus - orangey or mustard-greenish in tingue. some even with totally pale irides, but not many (about 5-10%?), like mich or tatus. i would take the underwing pattern of outer 2 primaries as the strongest feature for cachi: very long tongues in combo with jizz are more or less dead proof, as in your birds (at least visible in the 2nd;)). note the broken and thin p5 band in the first bird. this is also rel. common in romanian birds, about 10% adults don't have a solid p5 mark.
a selection of romanian adults here:

http://lou.bertalan.de/gulls/m_grp.php? ... ry-june%29

and

http://lou.bertalan.de/gulls/m_grp.php? ... jul-dec%29

cheers,

lou

[RSNaarhus]

Thanks for your answer Lou.

Could you please specify what you think of the bird on Netfugl: http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=s ... e_id=10607?

It is still labelled as Herring Gull although I personally feel it looks more like a Caspian Gull.

Best wishes, Rune