Large Gull at Nam Sang Wai
Large Gulls can be difficult, but I think this is Yellow-legged Gull , Larus (cachinnans) mongolicus.
As described in Lam, Viney and Phillipps "The Birds of Hong Kong and South China" it is "larger-billed, bulkier and significantly paler than Heuglin's Gull" and has "extensive black in the wing tip with large white mirrors..."
According to the book "Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America" by K.M.Olsson and H.Larsson ( and as Geoff Carey has pointed out on this forum in previous winters ) "mongolicus" moults later than other races of Yellow-legged Gull. the other races moult the outer primaries (P.9 & P.10) in December.... here is this bird moulting the outer primaries in January (arrowed in my photo from yesterday at NSW).
I would have posted MY photo earlier, but I had to read up on big gulls... never being quite sure about them !
[ Last edited by John Holmes at 13/01/2009 11:28 ]
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13/01/2009 11:16
