cyanophile

I visited Portugal and Spain this early August and just back. I saw some birds on the way and I am trying to identify them. However I am not sure wherther my identification is correct. So, here I invite you who are familiar with these birds to give me some guide and correct me if I make mistakes. (I have watched bird for less than 1 year....)

Yellow legged gull - photo taken at Lisbon, Portugal

Yellow legged gull 01.jpg (140.83 KB)

10/08/2011 23:38

Yellow legged gull 02.jpg (138.69 KB)

10/08/2011 23:38

Yellow legged gull 03.jpg (112.18 KB)

10/08/2011 23:38

(to be continued....)

Ronaldo

I agree

cyanophile

Thanks Ronaldo !!!

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Some more photos and questions below:

Is this European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) ? - photo taken near Belem Tower, Lisbon, Portugal
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590 (5 photos, same bird)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590

Is this Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) ? - photo taken near Belem Tower, Lisbon, Portugal
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590 (5 photos, same bird)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590

The following photos were taken at Barcelona:

photo sg 01 - sg 04 are 4 photos of the same bird. Is it juvenile of Herring Gull.....?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590

photo sg 05 - is it Herring Gull 1st winter??
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590

photo sg 06 - is it Herring Gull 1st winter??
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590

photo sg 07 and sg 08 - Black-head Gull 1st winter?? (same bird)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590
http://www.flickr.com/photos/678 ... t-72157627748268590

another Question:
Is Spotless Starling (Sturnus unicolor) one of the dominating species in Spain? One day I woke up in the morning in Zaragoza, looked out of the window and saw 1000 bird black in colour flying. They are of the same type and they looked like Spotless Starling.

[ Last edited by cyanophile at 10/12/2011 14:17 ]

Ronaldo

The first two birds are correct. The juveniles seem correct (but not familiar enough with gulls, to give age for sure), aside from the last one, which is not a Black-Headed Gull.
Spotless starling is a very common species in western Mediterranean region, and can form very large flocks.

cyanophile

Thank you for your reply, Ronaldo

I ask the same questions on a Spainish bird watch forum because I guess they will be more familiar with the the juvenile gulls.

For the bird I mention in my first question, I think its plumage look a bit too dark (even when strong light shine on it http://www.facebook.com/photo.ph ... ;id=100002683708096) for a Herring Gull. The plumage is so dark that looks like that of a Lesser black-backed gull. But then Lesser black-backed gull has yellow leg http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/lesser_black-backed_gull/id while my bird has pinkish leg....so I guess it is a Herring Gull....

By the way, I also saw Golden Oriole, Monk Parakeet, some swifts (one type of them is with white rump), some eagle (I GUESS what I saw are Booted Eagle, Red Kite and Common Kestrel) and some other birds. But I couldn't photograph them, either because they flied away too quickly, or they are too far away to be photographed with my "primitive" camera....haha. anyway, interesting experience for me =]