Sunday 4 January 2015

Presumed hybrid Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) x European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) on Mandø

This presumed hybrid Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) x European Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) was photograped on Mandø in the Danish Wadden Sea on 27 October 2011. It attracted my attention because of its dark-grey upperparts which were much darker than on the nearby European Herring Gulls but at the same time the bird was not a Lesser Black-backed Gull.

The possibility of it being a hybrid Lesser Black-backed Gull x European Herring Gull, seems to be the best fit because it was much darker grey compared to local Herring Gulls and it showed distinct pink-tinged legs, rather dark underside to primaries and a broad white trailing edge to secondaries as in Lesser Black-backed Gull and finally a Herring Gull JIZZ. In other words, it showed mixed characters of both species.




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