深藍-Owen 5/02/2010 20:18
Vega Gull 西伯利亞銀
Mai Po
Feb 5, 2010.
the left one:
[img]http://www.i-owen.com/gallery2/g2data/albums/HKWildBirds/925_0/IMG_9471.jpg[/img]
cgeoff 6/02/2010 09:32
This bird looks pretty good for a pure Vega Gull, as there is little obviously suggestive of [i]heuglini[/i].
The crown is rounded, the upperparts are a shade or two paler than the [i]heuglini[/i], primary moult appears just about complete, and the legs are pure pink, with no hint of cream or yellow.
The iris appears pretty dark, and while many vegae do have a pale iris midwinter, few heuglini have a dark one (though the bird adjacent does appear to have one!). It's not very large, which might indicate some heuglini influence; however, size in gulls varies greatly. Presumably it's a female.
I would guess this is a younger adult, as the p10 mirror is relatively small and rather far from the white tip; the relatively extensive and dark spot near the bill tip probably supports this.
Geoff
[[i] Last edited by cgeoff at 6/02/2010 09:34 [/i]]