Herring Gull? (1 Viewer)

[Michał Jaro]

Hi - The Gull with such a clear window on primaries can only be a Herring gull ? (in the 3rd calendar year?)

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Michal,

presuming its a recent picture from the Podhale region?

do you have pictures of the underwing? I dont know, if they help, and I cant ID your bird. My thoughts:

• Please note that 2nd cycle Caspian Gulls have a stronger primary window, even more evident thn HG according to the new Gull ID book and this is:Larus cachinnans
• blurred quality dilutes features, and I think it might well be an example where features are shifted suggesting another species (no offense you know)
• With this in mind, I find its hard to be sure of the appearant good Caspian Gull head (slender bill, white head set sharply set off against some dark pattern on the neck? But is this wishful thinking?
• The tail seems white with only a narrow sharp demarcated black band. Good for Caspian Gull and not so good for many HG
• And your bird wasn't commented for a few days now, so I think it's not IDable with confidence (as a possible 3cy Caspian Gull?) Hey, that's a feature against an IDable Caspian Gull? Yes, I think so=thanks Lou and all!

Conclusion? It might well be a 3cy Caspian Gull (with or without some HG ancestry) but I can't ID it. But maybe more pictures and comments can change this? Thanks!