Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: December 15, 2011 )

Herring Gull - 4cy /sub-adults August

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 (argenteus) GC 89668 4cy, April-August 2011, Leiden, Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) A7BS 2011 & 2013, Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage.
rings argenteus: Belgium
3cy argenteus in August, ringed in Belgium. (70404 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) BHAK 5cy, August 15 2003, Westkapelle, the Netherlands (51.33N, 03.25E).
1cy argenteus in November, ringed in Belgium. (25637 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) FCAV 4cy, August-November 2009, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in August, ringed in Belgium. (59347 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) H-112039 4cy, August 15 2003, Westkapelle, the Netherlands (51.33N, 03.25E).
3cy Herring Gull in August, ringed in Belgium. (84363 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) H-120566 4cy? August 12 2004, Westkapelle, the Netherlands (51.33N, 03.25E).
rings argenteus: the Netherlands
3cy Herring Gull in August, ringed in Belgium. (84363 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) Y.BDS 1CY-4CY, September 2012 - 2015, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
3cy Herring Gull in August, ringed in Belgium. (84363 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) Y.CAX 4CY, May, August & November 2016, IJmuiden & Katwijk, the Netherlands. Picture: Maarten van Kleinwee & Mars Muusse.
1cy argenteus in August, ringed in Belgium. (90559 bytes)Herring Gull argenteus 1Z sub-adult, August 19 2010, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
1cy argenteus in August, ringed in Belgium. (90559 bytes)Herring Gull argenteus 3Z 4CY, August 19 2010, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
1cy argenteus in August, ringed in Belgium. (90559 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) NLA.5.352.764 5cy, August 12 2006, IJmuiden, the Netherlands. Seen in eight years now.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) 5.419.235 4cy, 2009-2011, Leiden, Netherlands.
rings argentatus: Finland
sub-adult argentatus in August, ringed in Finland. (83017 bytes)Herring Gull C03S0 4cy (argentatus), August 06 2002, Tampere, Finland (61.31N,23.43E).
sub-adult argentatus in August, ringed in Finland. (74303 bytes)Herring Gull C04V6 4cy (argentatus), August 07 2002, Tampere, Finland (61.31N,23.43E).
sub-adult argentatus in August, ringed in Finland. (63038 bytes)Herring Gull C07E2 4cy (argentatus), August 06 2002, Tampere, Finland (61.31N,23.43E).
sub-adult argentatus in August, ringed in Finland. (69470 bytes)Herring Gull C2179 5cy (argentatus), August 11 2002, Tampere, Finland (61.31N,23.43E).
adult argentatus in August, ringed in Finland. (69858 bytes)Herring Gull C2192 5cy (argentatus), August 09 2002, Tampere, Finland (61.31N,23.43E).
sub-adult argentatus in August, ringed in Finland. (39769 bytes)Herring Gull C656R 5cy (argentatus), August 11 2002, Tampere, Finland (61.31N,23.43E).
sub-adult argentatus in August, ringed in Finland. (73415 bytes)Herring Gull C154A 5cy (argentatus), August 12 2002, Tampere, Finland (61.31N,23.43E).
adult argentatus in August, ringed in Finland. (68370 bytes)Herring Gull C156H 5cy (argentatus), August 07 2002, Tampere, Finland (61.31N,23.43E).
sub-adult argentatus in August, ringed in Finland. (75638 bytes)Herring Gull HT-xx7.108 sub-adult (argentatus), August 06 2002, Tampere, Finland (61.31N,23.43E).
rings argentatus: Lithuania
1cy argenteus in August, ringed in Belgium. (90559 bytes)Herring Gull argentatus 2L8H 4CY, August 28 2013, Rumbula (Getliņi) rubbish dump, Stopiņu, Latvia (56°53'10"N, 24°15'45"E). Picture: Igor Denisov.
unringed sub-adult Herring Gulls
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult, August 30 2016, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult, August 22 2015, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), August 20 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), August 20 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), August 22 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), August 22 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), August 22 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), August 22 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), August 22 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult/3cy (argenteus), August 29 2012, IJmuiden, the Netherlands. P7/-.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), August 29 2012, IJmuiden, the Netherlands. P5 / P8. 4cy or 5cy bird.
1cy argenteus in August, ringed in Belgium. (90559 bytes)Herring Gull 4cy/5cy (argenteus), August 25 2011, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
1cy argenteus in August, ringed in Belgium. (90559 bytes)Herring Gull 4cy/5cy (argenteus), August 29 2012, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
sub-adult argentatus in August. (70483 bytes)Herring Gull sub-adult (argentatus), August 07 2002, Tampere, Finland (61.31N,23.43E).