Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: December 15, 2011 )

Herring Gull - 3cy December

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.
Herring GullHerring Gull A5FM, 3cy (argenteus), December 01 2009, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.42N,1.34E). Picture: J-M Sauvage.
rings argenteus: Belgium
3cy argenteus in December, ringed in Belgium. (57766 bytes)Herring Gull CAAD 3cy (argenteus), December 01 2002, Westkapelle, the Netherlands (51.33N 03.25E).
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) PBAX 2CY-3CY, December 2011 & December 2012, De Panne, Belgium. Picture: Peter Adriaens.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull argenteus YFAY 3CY, December 12 2015, Le-Touquet, France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage.
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull argenteus YHAA 3CY, December 26 2015, Calais, France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage.
3cy argenteus in December, ringed in Belgium. (67323 bytes)Herring Gull H-117211 3cy, December 14 2003, 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 February, ringed in Norway. (75189 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) FT 3CY (3rd cycle), December 28 2009, Koksijde, Belgium. Picture: Peter Adriaens. 
rings argentatus: Germany
2cy argentatus in February, ringed in Norway. (75189 bytes)Herring Gull argentatus HX474 3CY, December 2014, Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Picture: Merijn Loeve.
3cy argenteus in December, ringed in Belgium. (67323 bytes)Herring Gull X15H 3cy, December 17 2006, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
rings argentatus: Denmark
2cy argentatus in May, ringed in Denmark. (64659 bytes)Herring Gull VF5J (argentatus) 2011-2012, Finland. Pictures: Visa Rauste.
rings argentatus: Norway
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull (argentatus) J7576 3CY, December 15 2014, Hovindam - Oslo, Norway. Picture: John Sandøy.
rings argentatus: Finland
2cy argentatus in February, ringed in Norway. (75189 bytes)Herring Gull (argentatus) CJX6 3CY (3rd cycle), December 11 2007, Finland. Picture: Visa Rauste.
rings argentatus: Russia
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull KV48 3cy (argentatus), March 2008, Boulogne/Mer, France.
unringed 3cy Herring Gulls
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull (argentatus) 3CY, December 04 2015, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 20 2015, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 19 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 19 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 19 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 19 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 19 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 19 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 19 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 16 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 16 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 16 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 16 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 16 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy (argenteus), December 02 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy, December 15 2014, Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy, December 15 2014, Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy, December 15 2014, Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy, December 15 2014, Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy (argenteus), December 23 2010, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy (argenteus), December 23 2010, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
3cy argentatus in January. (80207 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy (argentatus), December 03 2013, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argentatus in January. (80207 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy (argentatus), December 03 2013, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argentatus in January. (80207 bytes)Herring Gull sub-adult (argentatus), December 03 2013, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy, December 15 2014, Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull (argentatus) 3rd cycle (3CY), December 18 2009, IJmuiden, the Netherlands. 
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy (argentatus), December 31 2008, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy (argentatus), December 02 2009, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy (argentatus), December 23 2010, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy (argentatus), December 23 2010, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3CY, December 17 2015, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in January, ringed in the Netherlands. (68274 bytes)Herring Gull 3cy (argentatus), December 23 2010, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.