brendank

23 Jan 2011--Mai Po

The adults in the first photo seem straight forward to me--streaked nape and pink legs.

In the second photo the bird in the front has too much mottling in the tertials for Heuglin's Gull in my opinion and rather pale greater coverts. It also doesn't look heavy enough built for Mongolian Gull. The bird in the back may also be Vega Gull but not too sure on that one.

vega_a.JPG (50.54 KB)

25/01/2011 22:39

vega_b2.JPG (45.26 KB)

25/01/2011 22:39

[ Last edited by brendank at 25/01/2011 22:43 ]

cgeoff

Agreed. However, I think the rear bird in the second photo is not vegae. The pattern of tertials, scaps and, in particular, greater coverts indicates heuglini.

Having had such a cold midwinter period, the late winter may prove rather interesting for gulls.

Geoff

brendank

On the rear bird the tertials seem a bit too pale with a bit too much white mottling for typical heuglini. Perhaps it is completely heuglini but it seems to me there is always some possibility of integrades between Heuglin's and Vega although the breeding ranges of both "forms" seems not well known at this point.