Kumlieni?

[JanJ]

Another image of the subject gull.

Jan

[vuelvepiedras]

These are the most recent pics from this mistery gull.

I've been there last weekend, and I have to say that this bird is a total challenge for me. A very beautiful but puzzle gull.

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[JanJ]

Gabi!

Looking over again at the subject gull, with the new pic. thayeri stands out as the most possible choice.
I therefore took the opportunity putting it on ID_FRONTIERS yeasterday and bot Bill and Alvaro suggested thayeri for the gull.

Check here Gabi:

http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa? ... L=birdwg01

JanJ

[Theo Muusse]

But those secondaries do not give a 2nd winter but a 3rd winter bird..

Theo

[vuelvepiedras]

Jan, please resend this message and pics to Id Frontiers forum. Thanks!

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We are totally excited with this discussion. This bird is the greatest challenge I've ever face. As thayers would be the first for Spain, its very important for us to clarify this subject. The new opinions about the ageing of this gull are really interesting, because 2nd cicle was my first opinion as I saw the bird in the field, but my knowledge about kumlien/thayeri is obviously scarce.

If so, we can surely rule out the option of aberrant argentatus, or hybrid. No argentatus match those bunch of features, typical of kumlieni or thayeri. At this point, I must act as an observer and keen learner from the American experts in this species.

Many gullers in Spain are hardly waiting for your opinions, as this gull is a real adrenaline injection!

Cheers!
Gabi

[marsmuusse]

Theo is right in the fact that the inner secondaries are pretty clean grey based and would indicate 3rd gen feathers over 2nd gen. But the pattern of brown centres on the tertials & the bleached brown primaries with faded tips could well point to a bird one year younger (3cy March by now). Of course, many example birds with mirrors on 2nd gen P10 have came accross in other topics and may still apply to several taxa. Maybe the pattern on inner secondaries can be explained by the time of replacement (which is normally late in the sequence)? In general, the bird shouts 3cy imo.

[vuelvepiedras]

This is breaking my nerves...

Now, my friend Toño Salazar send this pic he took in December 7th, 2009 at the same place. He suggested me this bird is the same than the putative Thayer's and of course I think it is.

It's nice to see the slow moult development. For me, a reasonably 2nd cycle.

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Cheers!
Gabi

[marsmuusse]

Hi gabi,
The tail feather pattern among others nicely matches with the later pictures I think.

[vuelvepiedras]

I can't join to ID Frontiers...

I have uploaded to my blog new pics of the subject gull, this time showing underwing pattern.

http://larusfuscus.blogspot.com/2010/04 ... rwing.html

Thayer's is becoming a very real option so far.

Cheers!
Gabi

[JanJ]

In connection with the spanish 'putative thayeri' - Peter Pyle posted some thoughts on moult, which might be of interest.

http://listserv.arizona.edu/cgi-bin/wa? ... com&P=2329

Jan