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

(last update: 10-11-2009)

Larus fuscus fuscus 3cy C4H7, July 10-16 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.33N 24.59E).

C4H7 was ringed in Pälkäne, Finland (61,36N 24,36E); ringed as pullus on June 25 2001.
Recorded at Tampere:
2001-08-21, 2001-08-22, 2003-05-29, 2003-05-30, 2003-05-31, 2003-06-01, 2003-06-04, 2003-06-07, 2003-06-14, 2003-06-15, 2003-06-16, 2003-06-18, 2003-06-20, 2003-06-28, 2003-06-29, 2003-07-05, 2003-07-06, 2003-07-10, 2003-07-11, 2003-07-12, 2003-07-13, 2003-07-14, 2003-07-16, 2003-07-21, 2003-07-23, 2003-07-24, 2003-08-02, 2003-08-03, 2003-08-09.

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.

C4H7 was ringed as pullus in 2001, now in 3cy. The primary moult stage in this 3cy: P1-P7 3rd generation and P8-P10 2nd generation. The primary moult is not completely symmetric. The outer primaries are paler bleached brown with only small white crescents on the very tip. Tail and secondaries replaced as well.