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

(last update: 22-12-2009)

Larus fuscus 4+cy JM82, June 22 2002, Lemmingsvaer, Troms, Norway. Picture: Morten Helberg.

JM82, is an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull (sex undetermined), breeding on Lemmingsvaer, county Troms in northern Norway. This colony of about 45 breeding pairs contains a mixed population of dark fuscus birds, but also pale-mantled birds (graellsii / intermedius birds).

Complete moult still not started by mid-June. Obviously, a paler bird, with a migration strategy much in line with what can be expected for intermedius birds from southern Norway or graellsii birds from the U.K. Map: see below.

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.

Below: migration strategy for JM82, following the western migration route along the Atlantic coast.