13 July 2009

Mark Darlaston captured these photos of a juvenile Yellow-legged Gull following fishing boats off Berry Head on 10 July.

With regard to identifying Yellow-legged Gull, County Recorder Mike Langman writes: "This juvenile Yellow-legged Gull can be identified from juvenile Herring Gull by the following features:

1. Lack of very contrasting paler inner primaries against dark secondaries and dark outer primaries.
2. Dark outer greater coverts forming a partial bar.
3. Very contrasting tail and and rump.
4. Pale head and dark mask – juvenile Herring Gulls are much greyer/brown.
5. Large dark almost spotted sides to breast and rear flanks, and almost white centre belly.

…and from the more similar juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gull by:

1. More contrasty upper wing pattern.
2. More advanced cleaner plumage – most LBBs have just fledged and are greyer in early July.
3. Large size (Mark commented that it was almost as big as a Greater Black-backed Gull).
4. Large bulky bill. 

Yellow-legged Gull (juvenile) – Berry Head – © Mark Darlaston – 10 July 2009