Yellow-legged Gull - Geelpootmeeuw (L. michahellis): 2cy Nov.

(last update: 16 april 2004)

ORG SITE

YLG 1cy May
YLG 1cy June
YLG 1cy July
YLG 1cy August
YLG 1cy September
YLG 1cy October
YLG 1cy November
YLG 1cy December

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

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

YLG sub-ad Jan.
YLG sub-ad Feb.
YLG sub-ad March
YLG sub-ad April
YLG sub-ad May
YLG sub-ad June
YLG sub-ad July
YLG sub-ad Aug.
YLG sub-ad Sept.
YLG sub-ad Oct.
YLG sub-ad Nov.
YLG sub-ad Dec.

YLG adult January
YLG adult February
YLG adult March
YLG adult April
YLG adult May
YLG adult June
YLG adult July
YLG adult August
YLG adult September
YLG adult October
YLG adult November
YLG adult December

Yellow-legged Gull michahellis 2cy, November 24 2003, Sète, S France (43°24'N - 03°42'E).

This is an average 2cy michahellis in November, showing most grey adult-like scapulars. The head and breast show streaking and mottling and the bill looks immature as well. Primary P10 is fully grown. After the complete moult, a partial moult has included two upper tertials and some wing-coverts: One inner greater coverts is fresh but with a barred pattern. Almost all visible median coverts have been replaced and a few lower lesser and lesser covert has been replaced recently, all adult-like grey.

All summer, 2cy michahellis are in a complete moult, replacing all feathers, which eventually will bring birds in so-called "second winter" plumage by October. After completion, the head will show limited neat fine streaking and the under-parts and rump turn pale, with some mottled brown at the flanks. 
From early April, the inner primaries are shed and new second generation primaries grown in. On average, 2cy michahellis shed the last juvenile primary (P10) by the first week of August. The majority of michahellis complete the primary moult by the first week of October, when the new second generation P10 is fully grown. The new primaries are dark with a tiny pale tip on the fresh flight-feathers. In michahellis, second generation primaries show some contrast between outer and inner primaries: the three inner primaries show a pale inner-web and brownish outer-web (the black shaft-streak well visible), while the outer primaries have the outer-web blackish brown and the pale greyish brown inner-web still visible at P7. 
The under-wing is largely pale with brown lesser under-wing coverts and brown lines running over the tips of the median coverts. The second generation tail-feathers show a clear-cut wedge-shaped blackish tail-band with only isolated blackish markings on the white basal half of the central rectrices. The outer tail-feathers normally show no isolated black markings and in general the outer-webs are often clean white except the sub-terminal band. The rump is largely white. The iris is pale brown. The bill shows a pale pinkish base and often the very tip is translucent white. The legs are salmon-pink with a yellow hue.
At the end of the complete moult, a partial moult takes place in September and October. In this partial moult, 2cy birds normally include some feathers, which were replaced first in line in the complete moult of last summer (in May): upper tertials, median coverts, inner greater coverts and randomly some lower lesser coverts.