Herring Gull- Zilvermeeuw (argentatus & argenteus)

(last update: 22-12-2006)

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Herring Gull plumages:

hg 1cy July
hg 1cy August
hg 1cy September
hg 1cy October
hg 1cy November
hg 1cy December

hg 2cy January
hg 2cy February
hg 2cy March
hg 2cy April
hg 2cy May
hg 2cy June
hg 2cy July
hg 2cy August
hg 2cy September
hg 2cy October
hg 2cy November
hg 2cy December

hg 3cy January
hg 3cy February
hg 3cy March
hg 3cy April
hg 3cy May
hg 3cy June
hg 3cy July
hg 3cy August
hg 3cy September
hg 3cy October
hg 3cy November
hg 3cy December

hg sub-ad January
hg sub-ad February
hg sub-ad March
hg sub-ad April
hg sub-ad May
hg sub-ad June
hg sub-ad July
hg sub-ad August
hg sub-ad September
hg sub-ad October
hg sub-ad November
hg sub-ad December

hg ad January
hg ad February
hg ad March
hg ad April
hg ad May
hg ad June
hg ad July
hg ad August
hg ad September
hg ad October
hg ad November
hg ad December

Herring Gull H - 1173942cy (argenteus), May 16 2002, Boulogne/Mer, France (50.43N-01.37E).

A 2cy argenteus with a Belgian ring: Bruxelles H-117394, ringed as pullus on July 14 2001 at Zeebrugge (51.20N 03.11E). From late April onwards, argenteus has a complete moult during summer to so-called "second winter" plumage. This complete moult will be finished by October. The head appears white from May to July and will be moulted by July-August and will show neat fine streaking by October. The under-parts and rump turns pale, mottled with brown. From mid-April, the scapulars and mantle are replaced by third generation feathers, starting with the replacement of the lower upper scapulars. As can be seen in the image, the pattern of the third generation scapulars is more or less similar to the anchor pattern of the second generation feathers, but they can be recognized by the warm buffish tone and neat white fringe as long as the feathers are fresh. In this bird, most scapulars worn second generation feathers with six recently moulted third generation upper scapulars. In argenteus, some new scapulars may appear adult-like pale grey, but most new feathers will show an anchor pattern and this still applies on the new feathers in September.

From early April, the inner primaries are shed and new second generation primaries grown in. The last juvenile primary (P10) will be shed by the first week of August. The majority of argenteus complete the primary moult by the first week of October, with a new second generation P10 fully grown. The new primaries are dark with a tiny pale tip on the fresh flight-feathers. Again, the four inner primaries show an extensive pale window, as both inner and outer-web are pale greyish white-brown, contrasting with the outer-wing. A pale inner-web can still be found in P7. This bird has P1 to P3 missing; the outer primaries P4-P10 are still juvenile. 
The complete tail is still juvenile in this individual.
The second generation tail-feathers will show a clear-cut blackish tail-band with only isolated blackish markings on the white basal half. 
All tertials are still juvenile and very worn. Moult has started in the wing-coverts, with the innermost greater covert, #1, dropped; the greater coverts #2 and outwards are still juvenile. In the median coverts, the inner eight coverts are still juvenile and the outer medians have been dropped. Two new feathers are growing in the lower lesser coverts and in the lesser coverts, while all other feathers are still juvenile.
From late April, argenteus will replace the wing-coverts and tertials, starting with the median coverts, upper tertials and innermost greater coverts. The fresh feathers will be buffish-based with an obvious barred pattern. By July, the warm tones of the first moulted feathers are faded to plain white, leaving a contrasting barred pattern on the wing-coverts. The last coverts to be moulted are the central greater coverts, replaced by mid-August. The new greater coverts may show a vermiculated, densely barred pattern.