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

(last update: 10-11-2009)

Larus fuscus fuscus 3cy C6H8, July 11-14 2003, Tampere, Finland (61.33N 24.59E).

C6H8 was ringed in Luopio, Finland (61,36N 24,50E); ringed as pullus on June 28 2001.
Recorded at Tampere:
2001-07-29, 2001-07-31, 2001-08-01, 2001-08-03, 2001-08-06, 2001-08-10, 2001-08-14, 
2003-05-18, 2003-05-21, 2003-05-25, 2003-05-31, 2003-06-17, 2003-06-18, 2003-06-20, 2003-06-22, 2003-07-02, 2003-07-05, 2003-07-11, 2003-07-14, 2003-07-20, 2003-07-26. 

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.

C6H8 was ringed as pullus at Luopio, Finland on June 28 2001, now in 3cy. The outer primaries P6-P10 are dark brown with only a small mirror on P10. The outer primaries lack the white crescents which can be found commonly on 3rd generation primaries. As can be seen in many 3cy fuscus, C6H8 has some retained bleached pale brown wing-coverts and lower tertials.

See also C6H5, from the same location and ringed on the same date.

C6H8

C6H5