Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: December 15, 2011 )

Herring Gull - 4cy /sub-adults 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".

rings argenteus: U.K.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) A7BS 2011 & 2013, Boulogne-sur-Mer, NW France. Picture: Jean-Michel Sauvage.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) M9MT 4CY, October 08 2017, Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

rings argenteus: France


Herring GullHerring Gull 87A, 4cy (argenteus), October 14 2010, Westkapelle, the Netherlands (51.33N, 03.25E). Also as 1cy.
rings argenteus: Belgium
sub-adult argenteus in October, ringed in Belgium. (87638 bytes)Herring Gull H-66866 4cy (argenteus), October 11 2003, Brouwersdam, the Netherlands.
3cy argenteus in October, ringed in Belgium. (71010 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) H-158495 3CY-4CY, October 2009 & October 2010, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
rings argenteus: the Netherlands
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) KBNU 2CY & 4CY, March - December 2015 & October 2017, the Netherlands. Picture: Hein Verkade, Bep Scheen & Mars Muusse.
2cy argentatus in November. (81321 bytes)Herring Gull argenteus K.BPC 2CY & 4CY, November 2016 & October 2018, Katwijk-Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
2cy argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (78696 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) C||C 4CY, October 18 2017, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
2cy argentatus in November. (81321 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) 0.Z 1CY & 4CY, October 2015 & 2018, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
2cy argentatus in November. (81321 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) C8 1CY-4CY, December 2015 - October 2018, Scheveningen & Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull BH sub-adult / 3cy (argenteus), October 22 2007, Westkapelle, the Netherlands.
sub-adult argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (40827 bytes)Herring Gull 5.325.398 4cy (argenteus), October 22 2002, IJmuiden, the Netherlands (52.27N - 04.33E).
3cy argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (62341 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus)5.424.828 4CY, October 31 2011, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
sub-adult argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (40827 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) NLA 5.450.508 4CY, October 20-30 2015, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
sub-adult argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (40827 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) NLA 6.167.518 4CY, October 03 2016, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
2cy argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (78696 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) NLA 6.173.886 1CY & 4CY, November 2014 & October 2017, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
2cy argentatus in November. (81321 bytes)Herring Gull (argenteus) 36 4CY, October 23 2018, Noordwijk, the Netherlands.
rings argentatus: Norway
sub-adult argenteus in October, ringed in the Netherlands. (40827 bytes)Herring Gull J0434 4cy (argentatus), October 14 2011, Barneveld, the Netherlands.
rings argentatus: Russia
Herring GullHerring Gull argentatus RUM ES 023507 4CY, March & October 2017, Katwijk & Maasvlakte, the Netherlands. Picture: Merijn Loeve & Mars Muusse.
unringed sub-adult / 4cy Herring Gulls
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult, October 15 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P10 almost fully grown with mirror, and smaller mirror on P9. Secondary moult almost completed. Note dark centres of greater primary coverts; probably 5cy bird.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult, October 19 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P10 almost fully grown with mirror, and small mirror on P9. Secondary moult almost completed.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult, October 13 2015, Katwijk, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) 4cy, October 07 2012, Noordwijk, the Netherlands. P9 fully grown.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) sub-adult, October 27 2015, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
Herring GullHerring Gull sub-adult, October 19 2012, Katwijk, the Netherlands. P10 almost fully grown with mirror, and small mirror on P9. Secondary moult almost completed.
Herring GullHerring Gull (argenteus) 4cy, October 07 2012, Noordwijk, the Netherlands. P9 fully grown.
2cy argentatus in November. (81321 bytes)Herring Gull 4CY, October 18 2017, IJmuiden, the Netherlands.
2cy argentatus in November. (81321 bytes)Herring Gull sub-adult / 3cy, October 11 2011, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
sub-adult argenteus in October. (80207 bytes)Herring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), October 03 2003, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.
sub-adult argenteus in October. (52370 bytes)Herring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), October 05 2003, IJmuiden, the Netherlands (52.27N - 04.33E).
sub-adult argenteus in October. (41421 bytes)Herring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), October 20 2003, IJmuiden, the Netherlands (52.27N - 04.33E).
sub-adult argenteus in October. (42486 bytes)Herring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), October 20 2003, IJmuiden, the Netherlands (52.27N - 04.33E).
sub-adult argenteus in October. (69540 bytes)Herring Gull sub-adult (argenteus), October 24 2003, Scheveningen, the Netherlands.