Two juvenile gulls (1 Viewer)

[Michał Jaro]

Hi.
I have another request regarding two gulls. The first one - in my opinion, looks like Yellow-Legged (the stripe on the tail narrows to the outer tail feathers, a dark mark around the eye, a faint window on the pimaries.
The second - with quite dark mantle , and I thought about Lesser Black-backed, but the underwing coverts are quite light.
Today , Poland, Podhale

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello Michal,

your second bird (41x) looks like a 1cy Caspian x Herring Gull to me.
Overall dusky-dark impression, stubby bill (at least an ID book Caspian Gull would say this), mooded head mask.
Or still within variation for a pure Caspian Gull? Thanks for more comments!

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello again Michal,
atvfirst the tail pattern seemed very good to me: narrow, clear cut Black band , tappering towards the sides in a pyramidical shape.
But despite dark axillaris, the underwing seems totally unmarked and whitish with a contrasting dark trailing Edge. So another Caspian Gull Hybrid?

 

[Michał Jaro]

Hello again Michal,
atvfirst the tail pattern seemed very good to me: narrow, clear cut Black band , tappering towards the sides in a pyramidical shape.
But despite dark axillaris, the underwing seems totally unmarked and whitish with a contrasting dark trailing Edge. So another Caspian Gull Hybrid?

Thanks Alex, and yes - same doubts...

 

[Michał Jaro]

Hello Michal,

your second bird (41x) looks like a 1cy Caspian x Herring Gull to me.
Overall dusky-dark impression, stubby bill (at least an ID book Caspian Gull would say this), mooded head mask.
Or still within variation for a pure Caspian Gull? Thanks for more comments!

I am also grateful for this interpretation, I don't know the cactus features, but the top is probably dark for both Caspian and Herring

 

[leifvester]

I would say that you can rule out YLG for the first bird from photo 4303, which shows a mostly white underwing - consistent with Caspian, first winter.
Also I can see quite a lot of white on the greater coverts, and the venetian pattern on the wing tips.

 

[Michał Jaro]

I would say that you can rule out YLG for the first bird from photo 4303, which shows a mostly white underwing - consistent with Caspian, first winter.
Also I can see quite a lot of white on the greater coverts, and the venetian pattern on the wing tips.

ok thanks! it looks like it , I guess this gull should be classified as "some kind of hybrid" (because of the tail) and there's nothing more that can be done