Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: December 15, 2011 )

Coordinators:
Jean-Michel Sauvage (France)
Mars Muusse (the Netherlands)

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Herring Gull plumages:

hg 1cy July
hg 1cy August
hg 1cy September
hg 1cy October
hg 1cy November
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hg 2cy January
hg 2cy February
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hg 2cy May
hg 2cy June
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Herring Gull - 2cy July

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".

Tables:

Primary moult score of 2cy Herring Gull, at IJmuiden beach, the Netherlands (52.27N, 04.33E) on July 06 2003 (15:00 h, low tide).
. P3 fg P4 fg P5 fg P6 fg ? fg n:
P6-P10 1 - - - 3 4
P7-P10 1 21 - - 6 28
P8-P10 - 3 31 1 - 35
P9-P10 - - 2 16 - 18
P10 old - - - - - -
n: 2 24 33 17 9 85
n = 85; m old P = 3.2; SD old P = 0.83.
Group: about 220 Herring Gulls, probably 100% argenteus, 50% 2cy birds.
P6-P10 = P6-P10 are still old and present.
? fg = fully grown not known. Fully grown primary score most probably P6 or less.
fg = fully grown. In our field surveys, a primary is 'fully grown' when it exceeds the previous feather in the folded wing. Actually,  such 'fully grown' feathers may have to grow a little, but under field circumstances, it's very difficult to find out if the waxy sheath, which is the standard measurement for fully grown primaries, is still present. 

 

Primary moult score of 2cy argentatus Herring Gull, at Tampere landfill, Finland (61.33N, 23.59E) on July 10 2003.
. P4 fg P5 fg P6 fg P7 fg ? fg n:
P6-P10 - - - - - -
P7-P10 5 4 - - 6 15
P8-P10 1 54 6 - 13 74
P9-P10 - 11 34 - 2 47
P10 old - - 1 1 - 2
n: 6 69 41 1 21 138
n = 138; m old P = 2.7; SD old P = 0.67.
Survey at Tampere, landfill, in resting group at 'the saddle', about 200 2cy Herring Gulls, probably 100% argentatus.
P6-P10 = P6-P10 are still old and present.
? fg = fully grown not known. Fully grown primary score most probably P6 or less.
fg = fully grown. In our field surveys, a primary is 'fully grown' when it exceeds the previous feather in the folded wing. Actually,  such 'fully grown' feathers may have to grow a little, but under field circumstances, it's very difficult to find out if the waxy sheath, which is the standard measurement for fully grown primaries, is still present. 

 

Primary moult score of 2cy argentatus Herring Gull, at Tampere landfill, Finland (61.33N, 23.59E) on July 13 2003, 15:00 h.
. P4 fg P5 fg P6 fg P7 fg ? fg n:
P6-P10 - - - - 1 1
P7-P10 2 - - - 4 6
P8-P10 - 26 6 - 18 50
P9-P10 - 20 52 1 5 78
P10 old - - 5 3 - 8
n: 2 46 63 4 28 143
n = 143; m old P = 2.4; SD old P = 0.69.
Survey at Tampere, landfill, in resting group at 'Bio I'.

 

Remaining old primaries in 2cy argenteus at Le Portel - Boulogne/Mer, July 10 2002. (n = 146; m = 7.4; s = 0.66)
P7-P10 old 10 (7%)
P8-P10 old 66 (45%)
P9-P10 old 66 (45%)
P10 old 4 (3%)
Secondary and rectrices moult score in 2cy argenteus at Le Portel - Boulogne/Mer, July 11 2002. (n = 40)
secondaries or rectrices not moulting 10
only rectrices moulting 8
only secondary moulting -
secondaries and rectrices both moulting 22

rings argenteus: U.K.
2cy argenteus in March, ringed in France. (57822 bytes)Herring Gull A6GV, 2cy (argenteus), July 20 2010, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). Picture: M v Kleinwee.
2cy argenteus in March, ringed in France. (57822 bytes)Herring Gull A5UW, 2cy (argenteus), July 06 2009, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). Picture: J-M Sauvage.
2cy argenteus in March, ringed in France. (57822 bytes)Herring Gull GR 35613 2cy (argenteus), April-July 2012, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). Picture: J-M Sauvage.
rings argenteus: France
2cy argenteus in March, ringed in France. (57822 bytes)Herring Gull 1L1A 2cy (argenteus), July 21 2010, Boulogne/Mer, NW France. Picture: M v Kleinwee.
2cy argenteus in March, ringed in France. (57822 bytes)Herring Gull 511A 2cy (argenteus), July 19 2010, Boulogne/Mer, NW France. Picture: M v Kleinwee.
2cy argenteus in July, ringed in France. (66867 bytes)Herring Gull DA 216321 2cy (argenteus), July 10 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E).
2cy argenteus in July, ringed in France. (85789 bytes)Herring Gull DA 212950, 2cy (argenteus), July 10 & 11 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E).
rings argenteus: Belgium
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull FLAR 2cy (argenteus), July 19 2008, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). Picture: J-M Sauvage.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull CPAX 2cy (argenteus), July 15 2009, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). Picture: J-M Sauvage.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull SCAZ 2cy (argenteus), July & October 2012, Calais & Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). Picture: J-M Sauvage.
2cy argenteus in July, ringed in Belgium. (63612 bytes)Herring Gull H-113894 2cy (argenteus), July 10 & 11 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E).
2cy argenteus in July, ringed in Belgium. (65131 bytes)Herring Gull H-117771 2cy (argenteus), July 10 & 11 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E).
2cy argenteus in July, ringed in Belgium. (65600 bytes)Herring Gull H-117538 2cy (argenteus), July 11 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E).
2cy argenteus in July, ringed in Belgium. (65600 bytes)Herring Gull H-161236 2cy (argenteus), July 19 2010, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E).
rings argenteus: Netherlands
1cy argenteus in August, ringed in Belgium. (90559 bytes)Herring Gull Y.ADF 2cy (argenteus), June-July 2009, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
2cy argenteus in July, ringed in the Netherlands. (103953 bytes)Herring Gull 5.411.465 2cy (argenteus), July 09 2004, IJmuiden, the Netherlands (52.27N 04.33E).
2cy argenteus in July, ringed in the Netherlands. (75352 bytes)Herring Gull 5.352.714 2cy (argenteus), July 10 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E).
rings argentatus: Norway
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Norway. (75152 bytes)Herring Gull J10S 2cy (argentatus), July 09-16 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P5-P10 juvenile.
rings argentatus: Sweden
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Sweden. (74699 bytes)Herring Gull 90A34157 2cy (argentatus), July 16 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P4 fully grown, P8-P10 juvenile.
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Sweden. (73304 bytes)Herring Gull 90A55xxx 2cy (argentatus), July 15 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P5 fully grown, P8-P10 juvenile.
rings argentatus: Finland
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Finland. (76869 bytes)Herring Gull C172N 2cy (argentatus), July 15 & 16 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P6 fully grown, P10 juvenile.
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Finland. (77764 bytes)Herring Gull C237R 2cy (argentatus), July 10 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P5 fully grown, P8-P10 juvenile.
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Finland. (66721 bytes)Herring Gull C9C37 2cy (argentatus), July 15 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P6 fully grown, P9-P10 juvenile.
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Finland. (78183 bytes)Herring Gull C9J47 2cy (argentatus), July 09-15 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P5 fully grown, P8-P10 juvenile.
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Finland. (81415 bytes)Herring Gull C9J63 2cy (argentatus), July 13-14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P6 fully grown, P9-P10 juvenile.
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Finland. (75260 bytes)Herring Gull C9V40 2cy (argentatus), July 14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P5 fully grown, P8-P10 juvenile.
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Finland. (71146 bytes)Herring Gull HT-222877 2cy (argentatus), July 14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P7 fully grown, P10 juvenile.
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Finland. (77057 bytes)Herring Gull HT-230904 2cy (argentatus), July 15 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P5 fully grown, P8-P10 juvenile.
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Finland. (73457 bytes)Herring Gull HT-232584 2cy (argentatus), July 15 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P6 fully grown, P9-P10 juvenile.
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Finland. (73199 bytes)Herring Gull HT-2377xx 2cy (argentatus), July 15 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). P6 fully grown, P9-P10 juvenile.
rings argentatus: Russia
2cy argentatus in July, ringed in Finland. (77057 bytes)Herring Gull KY61 2cy (argentatus), July 31 2009, Scheveningen, the Netherlands. Also as 3cy.
unringed 2cy Herring Gulls
2cy argentatus in July. (80954 bytes)Herring Gull 2cy (argentatus), July 14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E).
2cy argentatus in July. (78683 bytes)Herring Gull 2cy (argentatus), July 10-14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E).
2cy argentatus in July. (78590 bytes)Herring Gull 2cy (argentatus), July 14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E).
2cy argentatus in July. (74880 bytes)Herring Gull 2cy (argentatus), July 14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E).
2cy argentatus in July. (75025 bytes)Herring Gull 2cy (argentatus), July 14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E). "Long-billed John".
2cy argentatus in July. (70412 bytes)Herring Gull 2cy (argentatus), July 14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E).
2cy argentatus in July. (70842 bytes)Herring Gull 2cy (argentatus), July 14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E).
2cy argentatus in July. (75751 bytes)Herring Gull 2cy (argentatus), July 14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E).
2cy argentatus in July. (76431 bytes)Herring Gull 2cy (argentatus), July 14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.31N, 23.43E).