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

(last update: 10-11-2009)

Larus fuscus fuscus 3cy C0XC, July 10-16 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.33N 24.59E).

C0XC was ringed in Kanala, Finland (61.40N 24.14E); ringed as pullus June 28 2001 by Risto Juvaste.
Recorded at Tampere: 
2001-08-01, 2001-08-16, 2001-08-21, 2001-08-24, 2001-08-26, 2001-08-27, 2001-08-31,
2003-05-20, 2003-05-21, 2003-05-24, 2003-05-31, 2003-06-01, 2003-06-07, 2003-06-14, 2003-06-20, 2003-06-22, 2003-07-05, 2003-07-10, 2003-07-12, 2003-07-14, 2003-07-16, 2003-07-20, 2003-08-02, 2003-08-06, 2003-08-09.
After August 31 2001 & August 09 2003, C0XC wasn't seen again at Tampere dump despite intense visits and may have moved further south from that date on. C0XC was not seen in Scandinavia as 2cy.

Larus fuscus fuscus in 2cy often returns with completely replaced primaries and secondaries. In 3cy, fuscus more often shows a clear division between fresh inner primaries and older outer primaries, the inner primaries often showing neat white tips and the outer primaries often second generation-like with rounded tips and paler bleached brown. The arrested moult in the primaries is often reflected in the secondaries and (to a less extend) in the tail-feathers as well. The older tail-feathers (often R5 is older) still show a broad dark sub-terminal band.
3cy fuscus often have some black markings on the bill, which is otherwise much adult-like, with a clear red gonydeal spot. The colour of the naked parts are adult-like as well. 
The scapulars in 3cy are often completely adult-like, lacking internal patterns; plain blackish grey with a mahogany hue on the older feathers. Most wing-coverts and tertials are adult-like blackish grey as well, but often 3cy birds show some very bleached pale brown wing-coverts, normally in the greater covert bar and in the upper rows of the lesser coverts. These bleached wing-coverts accentuate the jumpy sequence in the last wing-covert moult cycles, as there is often no clear pattern in location of these bleached feathers. Head and body feathers normally are snow-white by July.

C0XC was ringed as pullus at Kanala, Finland on June 28 2001, now in 3cy. Primary moult was arrested at P6, leaving a clear division with the four outer primaries, P7-P10. Note the white tips and grey bases of the secondaries, visible beneath the greater covert row. 

C5XE is from the same location, ringed on the same day. This 3cy fuscus recently replaced the inner four primaries, P1-P4, probably to 4th generation. P5-P10 are old, with a mirror on P10 and very small tips on the outer primaries.