nominate Lesser Black-backed Gull (L. f. fuscus)

(last update: 10-11-2009)

Coordinators:
Amir Ben Dov (Israel)
Hannu Koskinen (Finland)
Mars Muusse (the Netherlands)

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fuscus rings

fuscus 1cy July
fuscus 1cy Aug
fuscus 1cy Sept
fuscus 1cy Oct
fuscus 1cy Nov
fuscus 1cy Dec

fuscus 2cy Jan
fuscus 2cy Feb
fuscus 2cy March
fuscus 2cy April
fuscus 2cy May
fuscus 2cy June
fuscus 2cy July
fuscus 2cy Aug
fuscus 2cy Sept
fuscus 2cy Oct
fuscus 2cy Nov

fuscus 2cy Dec

fuscus 3cy Jan
fuscus 3cy Feb
fuscus 3cy March
fuscus 3cy April
fuscus 3cy May
fuscus 3cy June
fuscus 3cy July
fuscus 3cy August

fuscus 3cy Sept

fuscus 3cy October
fuscus 3cy Nov
fuscus 3cy Dec

fuscus 4cy Jan
fuscus 4cy Feb
fuscus 4cy March
fuscus 4cy April
fuscus 4cy May
fuscus 4cy June
fuscus 4cy July
fuscus 4cy Aug
fuscus 4cy Sept

fuscus 4cy Oct
fuscus 4cy Nov
fuscus 4cy Dec

fuscus ad Jan
fuscus ad Feb
fuscus ad March
fuscus ad April
fuscus ad May
fuscus ad June
fuscus ad July
fuscus ad Aug
fuscus unringed Aug
fuscus ad Sept
fuscus ad Oct
fuscus ad Nov
fuscus ad Dec

Larus fuscus fuscus probably 3cy, October 31 2009, Ashdod, Israel. Picture Amir Ben Dov.

Unringed bird, so no provenance about its origin or exact age. However, there is a clear black line on the bill and the very abraded P10 doesn't show a mirror, two indications it may be in 3cy. Complete moult well underway by late October, with only the outer two primaries old. P6 is fully grown, P7 almost at the length of P6 and P8 is missing. Regarding wear, there is no obvious divide visible in the inner primaries in this image, so there is no indication of moult continuation after arresting moult prior to migration.
Secondary moult has just started, in what seems to be an ordinary sequence: first the outermost secondaries (adjacent to P1) are dropped and another wave starts from the body outwards. S1 is growing in again. Moult in the rectrices normally develops simultaneously with secondary moult in Western taxa of Lesser Black-backed Gull, however, this is hard to interpret from this image. Note also that nominate fuscus (and intermedius often as well) may replace tail-feathers in late winter, therefore not necessarily has to follow the common moult timing.