Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: December 15, 2011 )

Herring Gull - 3cy October

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".


Herring Gull (argentatus) 3CY, October 16 2015, Katwijk, the Netherlands.



Herring Gull (argentatus) 3CY, October 20 2015, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.


Herring Gulls, October 09 2015, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.

 

rings argenteus: U.K.
3cy argenteus in October, ringed in Belgium. (71010 bytes)Herring Gull BTO GC 89891 3cy (argenteus), October 01 2010, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). Picture: J-M Sauvage.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull YR8.T 2cy-3cy (argenteus), May 2011 & October 2012, Boulogne/Mer, France . Picture: J-M Sauvage.
rings argenteus: France
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rings argenteus: Belgium
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull FLAH 3cy (argenteus), October 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) 3CY PMAJ October 31 2013, Westkapelle, the Netherlands. Picture: Theo Muusse.
3cy argenteus in October, ringed in Belgium. (71010 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) H-158495 3CY-4CY, October 2009 & October 2010, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in October, ringed in Belgium. (71010 bytes)Herring Gull H-107901 3cy (argenteus), October 18 2002, Westkapelle, the Netherlands (51.33N, 03.25E).
rings argenteus: the Netherlands
2cy argentatus in Jan-Febr, ringed in Russia.Herring Gull (argenteus) 9||+ 3CY-4CY, April 2018 - February 2019, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
2cy argentatus in November. (81321 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) 8||Y 3CY, October 23 2018, Noordwijk, 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.
2cy argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (78696 bytes)Herring Gull 9||P 1CY, 3CY & 4CY, October 2017 & 2019, February 2020, Scheveningen & Katwijk & Langevelderslag, the Netherlands.
2cy argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (78696 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) A||7 3CY, October 18 2017, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
2cy argenteus in April, ringed in the Netherlands. (75958 bytes)Herring Gull A||G 3CY, April & October 2018, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
2cy argentatus in November. (81321 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) 6R 2CY-3CY, January 2017 & October 2018, Scheveningen, the Netherlands. 
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) 5.R 3CY, October 30 2016, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) P4 3CY, October 24 2015, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) SM 3CY, October 20 2015, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull BH sub-adult / 3cy (argenteus), October 22 2007, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
2cy argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (78696 bytes)Herring Gull YAFJ 3cy (argentateus), October 27 2010, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
2cy argentatus in February, ringed in Norway. (75189 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) Y.BMD 1CY-4CY, August 2013 - April 2016, 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 October, ringed in the Netherlands. (62341 bytes)Herring Gull 5.374.328 3cy (argenteus), October 25 2003, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Photo Ruud Altenburg.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull NLA 6.166.438 3cy (argenteus), October 22 2012, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
2cy argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (78696 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) NLA 6.177.406 2CY-3CY, April 2016 & October 2017, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
2cy argentatus in November. (81321 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) NLA 6.177.880 3CY, October 20 2018, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
3cy hybrid argenteus x michahellis in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (66565 bytes)hybrid HG x YLG EP30 3cy (argenteus x michahellis), October 25 1999, Westkapelle, the Netherlands (51.33N, 03.25E). Picture by Pim Wolf. Known hybrid from the Netherlands (Neeltje Jans), ringed June 23 1997, offspring of male michahellis, (orange EAY8) and female argenteus.
rings argentatus: Denmark
3cy argentatus in October, ringed in the Denmark. (118135 bytes)Herring Gull V3T3 3cy (argentatus), October 28 2004, Westkapelle, the Netherlands (51.33N, 03.25E). Picture by Pim Wolf. 
Herring Gull argentatus DKC 4298575 3CY, March & October 2015, Leiden & Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
rings argentatus: Norway
2cy argentatus in October, ringed in Norway. (118370 bytes)Herring Gull (argentatus) J4389 3CY, October 25 2014, Hovindam - Oslo, Norway. Picture: John Sandøy.
Herring Gull argentatus J4901 3CY, October 04 2015, Vest-Agder, Norway. Picture: Nils Helge Lorentzen.
rings argentatus: Finland
2cy argentatus in February, ringed in Norway. (75189 bytes)Herring Gull (argentatus) C93J9 3CY (3rd cycle), October 17 2003, Finland. Picture: Visa Rauste. 
rings argentatus: Russia
3cy argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (62341 bytes)Herring Gull KH89, 3cy (argentatus), October 31 2011, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull KY31, 3cy (argentatus), October 27 2010, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
2cy argentatus in May, ringed in Denmark. (64659 bytes)Herring Gull argentatus KJEC7 3CY, October 20 2007, Tampere dump, Finland. Picture: Visa Rauste.
rings argentatus: Lithuania
Herring GullHerring Gull argentatus 3L6P 3CY, March 31 2014 & October 02 2014, Zabieliškis - Kaunas, Lithuania. Picture: Boris Belchev.
unringed 3cy Herring Gulls
Herring GullHerring Gull argentatus 3CY, October 16 2015, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3CY, October 09 2015, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3CY, October 13 2015, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3CY, October 13 2015, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3CY, October 18 2017, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3CY, October 18 2017, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argentatus) 3CY, October 27 2015, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3CY, October 13 2015, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3CY, October 13 2015, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3CY, October 20 2014, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) 3cy, October 07 2012, Noordwijk, the Netherlands. P9 fully grown.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) 3cy, October 09 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. Grey inner primaries. P10 almost fully grown.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3CY, October 20 2014, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3CY, October 20 2014, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3cy, October 09 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. Grey inner primaries.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3cy, October 19 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P10 fully grown with small mirror. With 2cy behind.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3cy, October 19 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P10 fully grown with small mirror.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3cy, October 19 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P10 fully grown.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3cy, October 19 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P10 fully grown.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3cy, October 09 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. Grey inner primaries.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3cy, October 09 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. Grey inner primaries.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3cy, October 09 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. Grey inner primaries.
Herring GullHerring Gull 3CY, October 18 2017, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
2cy argentatus in November. (81321 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy (argenteus), October 11 2011, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
2cy argentatus in November. (81321 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy (argentatus), October 11 2011, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.