Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: December 15, 2011 )

Herring Gull - 3cy September


September 2004, Herring Gull in Scheveningen harbour.

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".

rings argenteus: U.K.
adult argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (79042 bytes)Herring Gull AD9.T 2cy (argenteus), September 15-21 2010, Westkapelle, the Netherlands. Also as 2cy.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) A5AB 3cy, September 23 2009, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). Picture: J-M Sauvage.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) A7JG 2CY-3CY, March 2011, March - September 2012, Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage & Peter Adriaens.
Herring GullHerring Gull A5UW, 3cy (argenteus), September 28 2010, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). Picture: J-M Sauvage.
rings argenteus: France
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) M3 A 3CY (3rd cycle), September 22 2009, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). Picture: J-M Sauvage.
2cy argentatus in February, ringed in Norway. (75189 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) 51 A 3CY (3rd cycle), September 06 2009, Koksijde, Belgium. Picture: Peter Adriaens.
rings argenteus: Belgium
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull CLAR 3cy (argenteus), September 06 2010, Westkapelle, the Netherlands. Also as 2cy.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull CSAR 3cy (argenteus), September 19 2009, Westkapelle, the Netherlands. Also as 2cy.
ad LBBG in winter, ringed in the Netherlands. (65647 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) 3cy PCAL September 18 2012, Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) 1CY, 3CY & 4CY YDAC December 2012, September 2014 & April 2015, Calais, NW France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) Y.HAZ 2CY-3CY, July & December 2015 & September 2016, Brouwersdam, the Netherlands.
Herring Gull (argenteus) ZKA.G 3CY, September 18 2018, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
adult argenteus in October, ringed in Belgium. (60142 bytes)Herring Gull H-161237 2cy (argenteus), August & Sept 2010 & Sept 2011, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
adult argenteus in October, ringed in Belgium. (60142 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) BLB H-162941 3CY, August 12 & September 01 2010, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
rings argenteus: the Netherlands
Herring Gull (argenteus) 57 3CY, September 18 2018, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
Herring Gull (argenteus) 74 1CY & 3CY, September 2016 & 2018, Brouwersdam, the Netherlands.
Herring Gull (argenteus) YE 3CY, September 25 2018, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull argenteus 3.3 3CY, September 30 2016, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull argenteus 5.S 3CY, September 30 2016, Stellendam, the Netherlands.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) KD 2CY-3CY, November 2014 & September 2015, Katwijk & IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
Herring Gull (argenteus) 9||2 2CY-3CY, October 2017 & September 2018, Brouwersdam, the Netherlands.
Herring Gull (argenteus) 9||4 3CY, September 25 2018, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
2cy argentatus in February, ringed in Norway. (75189 bytes)Herring Gull argenteus 9||N 2CY-3CY, September 2018 & September - October 2019, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
Herring Gull B||G 3CY, September 25 2018, Brouwersdam, the Netherlands.
Herring Gull C||3 3CY, September 25 2018, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
adult argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (79042 bytes)Herring Gull 2G 3cy (argenteus), September 20 2009, Westkapelle, Netherlands. Picture: M v Kleinwee.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) Y.BDS 1CY-4CY,September 2012, July 2014 & February 2015, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
2cy argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (78696 bytes)Herring Gull PCLZ 3cy (argenteus), September - October 2009, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in September, ringed in the Netherlands. (84093 bytes)Herring Gull 5.335.124 3cy (argenteus), September 24 2002, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in September, ringed in the Netherlands. (83725 bytes)Herring Gull 5.412.501 3cy (argenteus), September 18 2004, IJmuiden, the Netherlands (52.27N 04.33E). 
3cy argenteus in September, ringed in the Netherlands. (83725 bytes)Herring Gull x.xx6.470 3cy (argenteus), September 23 2011, Westkapelle, the Netherlands. 
rings argentatus: Helgoland / Germany
3cy argentatus in September, ringed in Germany. (83415 bytes)Herring Gull 4272754 3cy (argentatus), September 21 2004, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
rings argentatus: Norway
3cy argenteus in September, ringed in the Netherlands. (83725 bytes)Herring Gull J0327 3cy (argentatus), September 09 2010, IJmuiden, the Netherlands (52.27N 04.33E). 
Herring Gull argentatus J4903 3CY, September 26 2015, Vest-Agder, Norway. Picture: Nils Helge Lorentzen.
rings argentatus: Finland
Herring Gull (argentatus) C1X6 1CY & 3CY, September-November 2005 & September 2007, Tampere, Finland (61.31N,23.43E).
rings argentatus: Russia
Herring GullHerring Gull (argentatus) KT88 2CY-3CY, October 2016 & September 2017, Vlieland & IJmuiden, the Netherlands. Picture: Jan Zorgdrager.
Herring GullHerring Gull KY61, 3cy (argentatus), September 15 2010, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
unringed 3cy Herring Gulls
sub-adult Herring Gull in September. (75836 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, September 14 2015, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
sub-adult Herring Gull in September. (75836 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) 3CY, September 01 2015, Noordwijk, the Netherlands. 
sub-adult Herring Gull in September. (75836 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) 3CY, September 01 2015, Noordwijk, the Netherlands. 
sub-adult Herring Gull in September. (75836 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy,September 12 2012, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
sub-adult Herring Gull in September. (75836 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy,September 12 2012, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
sub-adult Herring Gull in September. (75836 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy, September 11 2012, Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
sub-adult Herring Gull in September. (75836 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy, September 25 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
sub-adult Herring Gull in September. (75836 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) 3cy/4cy, September 25 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
sub-adult Herring Gull in September. (75836 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) 3cy/4cy, September 25 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
sub-adult Herring Gull in September. (75836 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy, September 25 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.