Larus armenicus

(last update: 7-9-2010)

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Larus armenicus 3cy, 18 August 2010, Maagan Michael, Israel. Picture: Amir Ben Dov.

Bird in active complete moult. P4 fully grown, P5 almost as long as P4, P6 about halfway its final length, P7 missing, P8-P10 still old second generation. A relatively small moult gap. Old outer primaries very worn and bleached. New feathers in wing coverts, mantle and scapulars adult-like grey. This individual follows the common moult sequence in large gulls, with the median covert row now replaced (pale silvery grey) and most of the greater coverts missing, exposing the secondaries underneath. Primary moult has arrived at P4, with P6 halfway, and this is commonly the moment that the outermost secondary (S1) and the central tailfeathers (R1) are dropped. All other secondaries are still old.

The secondaries will be replaced inwards, in a first wave towards the body. When new secondaries grow in (from S1 first, next to P1), a the innermost secondaries will be dropped in a second wave, now from the body moulting outwards. The two waves will meet at about S16-S18, which will be the last new secondaries growing in to close the gap.

The rectrices (tail-feathers) will be replaced centrifugal, hence first the central tail-feather pair (R1) and in a wave outwards. In this bird, the central tail-feathers may well be missing.