nominate Lesser Black-backed Gull (L. fuscus)

(last update: 11-4-2006)

sub-adult fuscus: February The rapid moult strategy of nominate fuscus makes it difficult to distinguish all sub-adult birds from adults. In some individuals it may be difficult to distinguish 3cy birds from 4cy. Lars Jonsson's article in Birding World shows the plumage characteristics in detail. In 3cy spring birds, fuscus normally shows a pale yellow bill, already a red gonydeal angle and the iris is pale yellow. Primary moult may start again in 3cy birds in March and result in a clear division of old third generation and new fourth generation inner primaries when fuscus returns at northern latitudes in summer. Most often, a clue of immaturity can be found in the tail; a few tail feathers have been moulted and are clear white, some older feathers show black spaghetti or vermiculated pattern. In 4cy birds, except from some odd black markings in the tail, these sub-adults are hard to tell from adults.

fuscus sub-adult, February 27, Bahrain. A bird still showing many dark markings in the tail. Remarkably, no moult in the outer primaries.

0000	1111	2222	fuscus	4444	5555	6666	7777	8888	9999	aaaa	bbb	cccc	ddd	eee	ffff

Links to fuscus on the web:

Rudy's gull-website with some fuscus (in Dutchttp://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Jungle/7550/fuscus.html0/fuscus.html">http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Jungle/7550/fuscus.html
Harry J. Lehhttp://oj287.astro.utu.fi/%7ehlehto/photo/fuscus/jul98.shtmls/jul98.shtml">http://oj287.astro.utu.fi/~hlehto/photo/fuscus/jul98.shtml
Jari Peltomahttp://oj287.astro.utu.fi/%7ehlehto/photo/peltomaki.shtmlltomaki.shtml">http://oj287.astro.utu.fi/~hlehto/photo/peltomaki.shtml
Risto Juvasthttp://www.ncp.fi/staff/juvaster/index.htmter/index.htm">http://www.ncp.fi/staff/juvaster/index.htm
Tero Linjahttp://smtp.teknolit.fi/%7ejawa/heuglini.htm/heuglini.htm">http://smtp.teknolit.fi/~jawa/heuglini.htm
Martin Reid's Gulhttp://www.martinreid.com/gullinx.htmm/gullinx.htm">http://www.martinreid.com/gullinx.htm
Howard King's gulls of Bahrain, maybe some are fuscushttp://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/9121/yellowleggedgulls.html