www.gull-research.org

Merry X-mas.

I would very much appreciate some comments on a bird seen on Rømø, Denmark 31/10-09: http://aarhusbirder.blogspot.com/2009/1 ... gulls.html.

Best wishes, Rune Sø Neergaard

Like Rune I would wish for more black on the wingtip, that is to say, at least on p9-7, not nessecarily as much as on this one:

http://www.pbase.com/stephaubry/image/74435789

The dark mark on p5 I would be content with for michahellis, however an almost all white tip to p10 is not exclusivly an argentatus character.
All features put together - it could well be an argentatus.
Wingtip pattern are variable, both in michahellis, argentatus/argenteus and sometimes you need the whole set of fetures to be able to make a positive identification depending what ssp of argentatus (if that is the one to compare with),you are dealing with.

http://waarneming.nl/fotonew/7/102377.jpg

http://waarneming.nl/fotonew/8/119238.jpg

Birds like this can confuse:

http://www.pbase.com/stephaubry/image/74225990

JanJ

Wing tip pattern, headshape, billshape, mantle colour, pattern of headstreaking, I vote for michahellis.

Theo Muusse

If mantle colour in the picture together with the argentatus is not deceiving and it really was a hint darker this is a very good pointer to michahellis. See this probable argentatus, which seemingly can only be identified by that feature.

A fully white tip to P10 does occur in michahellis, e.g. see the second bird on this page.

It seems P9 is still slightly shorter than P8 and P10 is obviously not fully grown. Not the best moult score for michahellis at X-mas...

marsmuusse wrote:It seems P9 is still slightly shorter than P8 and P10 is obviously not fully grown. Not the best moult score for michahellis at X-mas...

...but quite alright at the end of October.

All right, I missed that date in the text. Execute me!