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

(last update: 10-11-2009)

Larus fuscus fuscus 3cy & 9cy C5H8, July 2003 & March 2009, Finland & Tampere. Images: Mars Muusse & Amir Ben Dov.

C5H8 was ringed in Pälkäne, Finland (61,22N 24,20E); ringed as pullus on June 26 2001.

below: 9cy C5H8, March 21 2009, Ashdod. Picture Amir Ben Dov.

below: 3cy C5H8, July 10-17 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.33N 24.59E).

34 records at Tampere:
2003-05-20, 2003-05-24, 2003-05-25, 2003-05-28, 2003-05-29, 2003-05-30, 2003-05-31, 2003-06-01, 2003-06-03, 2003-06-13, 2003-06-14, 2003-06-17, 2003-06-18, 2003-06-22, 2003-06-28, 2003-06-29, 2003-07-01, 2003-07-05, 2003-07-06, 2003-07-10, 2003-07-11, 2003-07-12, 2003-07-15, 2003-07-16, 2003-07-17, 2003-07-23, 2003-07-24, 2003-07-27, 2003-08-02, 2003-08-03, 2003-08-05, 2003-08-06, 2003-08-08, 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.

C5H8 was ringed as pullus in 2001, now in 3cy. The primary moult stage in this 3cy: P1-P6 3rd generation and P7-P10 old 2nd generation. The moult in the primaries is clearly suspended and simultaneously, there is no active moult in wing-coverts or tertials. The outer primaries are paler bleached brown and worn. Note the grey-tone of upper-parts in direct comparison with Ravens.