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

(last update: 20-1-2010)

(2 images) Larus fuscus fuscus 4cy J289, February 16 2008, Ashdod, Israel. Pictures Amir Ben Dov.

J289 was ringed in northern Norway, in a colony only occupied by dark mantled birds: nominate Larus fuscus fuscus. It was ringed as pullus (sex unknown) on July 19 2005, at Buholmen, Sørhorsvær, Sømna, Nordland, Norway (65°18'26"N 011°37'30"E).

More information about migration strategies in Norwegian fuscus and the ringing programme in the three northern counties of Norway: Nordland, Troms and Finnmark, can be found here: The summary for juveniles can be found in the fuscus 1cy October section, the summary for adults can be found in the fuscus adult October section.
Morten Helberg, Geir Systad, Ingve Birkeland, Nils Lorentzen & Jan Bustnes published an article about this research in Ardea 97, 2009, titled: Migration patterns of adult and juvenile Lesser Black-backed Gulls Larus fuscus from northern Norway. The complete PDF can be found HERE.

Nominate fuscus by late winter. Primaries relateively fresh due to late moulting timing. A dark blackish looking sub-adult.
Primary P10 with a small mirror, much black on bill, rather intense head streaking and no plain white underwing coverts are indications for sub-adultness.