james4j 2/02/2008 21:42
Two Gulls ID, please
Photo taken at MP yesterday, pls help to identify, thanks.
[img]http://images4.fotop.net/albums2/james4j/james4j120/IMG_7859_re_low.jpg[/img]
[img]http://images4.fotop.net/albums2/james4j/james4j120/IMG_7786_re_low.jpg[/img]
John Holmes 2/02/2008 22:12
Two Gulls ID
The top one is a first-winter (I think) Black-tailed Gull. Features to note are: - it is medium-sized, plain coffee-coloured and the bill is slim, pink at the base with the end third black in colour.
I'd say the lower one is a first-winter Heuglin's Gull - if only because Heuglin's is our commonest big gull. With these big gulls I recommend assuming it is a Heuglin's and then try to work out why it might be something else. If it was paler it might be [i]mongolicus[/i] -Yellow-legged. If it was darker you might consider Slaty-backed Gull.
So I'd vote for Heuglin's - but I'm willing to be corrected !
John
james4j 2/02/2008 22:31
Hi John,
thanks for your detail information. :lol: