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Herring Gull plumages:
hg 1cy July
hg 1cy August
hg 1cy September
hg 1cy October
hg 1cy November
hg 1cy December
hg 2cy January
hg 2cy February
hg 2cy March
hg 2cy April
hg 2cy May
hg 2cy June
hg 2cy July
hg 2cy August
hg 2cy September
hg 2cy October
hg 2cy November
hg 2cy December
hg 3cy January
hg 3cy February
hg 3cy March
hg 3cy April
hg 3cy May
hg 3cy June
hg 3cy July
hg 3cy August
hg 3cy September
hg 3cy October
hg 3cy November
hg 3cy December
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Herring Gull - 2cy May
Introduction
This website deals with the Herring Gulls of the taxa argentatus and argenteus. Argenteus is an abundant breeding species on Iceland, Britain, NW France, Belgium, the Netherlands and N Germany. The taxon argentatus breeds in NE Europe, from Denmark, the coast of the Baltic Sea, Scandinavia and coast of the White Sea. In the centre of the breeding range (Denmark and the NW German coast), birds show intermediate characteristics, indicating there is a cline in argenteus-argentatus. Argenteus in Western Europe is pale-backed, slightly smaller and with relatively much black in the wing-tip; argentatus in the NE Europe is larger, slightly darker on upper-parts and show less black in the wing-tip.
Due to the large breeding range, there is much intra-specific variation in argentatus, with most large, powerful birds in the northern populations, showing the most darkest upper-parts, longest wing and most white in the outer-wing. In this region, some populations may hold substantial number of yellow-legged argentatus. (referred to as "Finnmark yellow-legged argentatus"). In adult plumage, the black sub-terminal spot on P5 is often lacking or strongly reduced to a diffuse streak, broken at the centre. Sometimes P6 lacks black as well.
In the Baltic region, other yellow-legged argentatus populations occur ("Baltic yellow-legged argentatus"), with adults showing even brighter yellow legs in summer and the upper-parts only slightly darker than West European argenteus, still much paler than Yellow-legged Gull (michahellis). Those Baltic argentatus often show a black sub-terminal spot on P5 in adult plumage.
On these web-pages, we largely follow P.J. Grant: "Gulls, a guide to identification" and E.K Barth's publication as Contribution No. 86, Zoological Museum, University of Oslo: "The circumpolar systematics of Larus argentatus and Larus fuscus with special reference to the Norwegian populations".
2cy Herring Gull May: tables and charts
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Herring
Gull H-117394
2cy (argenteus), May 16
2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). |
Herring
Gull H-117661
2cy (argenteus), May 16 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). |
Herring
Gull DA-216323
2cy (argenteus), May 16 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). |
Herring
Gull DA-216321
2cy (argenteus), May 16 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). |
Herring
Gull 4284031
2cy (argentatus), May 02 2003, Boulogne/Mer, NW France. |
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Herring
Gull 2cy (argenteus), May 17 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). |
Herring
Gull 2cy (argenteus), May 17 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). |
Herring
Gull 2cy (argenteus), May 17 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). |
Herring
Gull 2cy (argenteus), May 17 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). |
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Herring
Gull 2cy (argenteus), May 17 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). |
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Herring
Gull 2cy (argenteus), May 17 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). |
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Herring
Gull 2cy (argenteus), May 17 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). |
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Herring
Gull 2cy (argenteus), May 16 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). |
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Herring
Gull 2cy (argenteus), May 11 2004, IJmuiden, the
Netherlands (52.27N 04.33E). |
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Herring
Gull 2cy (argenteus), May 11 2004, IJmuiden, the
Netherlands (52.27N 04.33E). |
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Herring
Gull
2cy (argentatus), May 01 2003, Boulogne/Mer, NW France. |
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Herring
Gull
2cy (argentatus), May 01 2003, Boulogne/Mer, NW France. |
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