The Lincolnshire Bird Club

Photo in Discussion Birds.

Literature on Med/Common Gull hybrid appears to be a bit thin on the ground! The little I have gleaned always refer to such hybrids as showing Med Gull like bill and legs unlike the Common Gull traits on this individual.

Comments welcome!

Regards

Nige

When I first found this bird yesterday morning I couldn't believe my eyes, just imagine a yellow billed, yellow legged small gull with a full black hood!!!- I don't remember the 2002 bird - but, after watching it wading around, catching Whiting and in flight I had the idea that it must be a Med/Common Gull Hybrid. Nige's photo does not show the full extent of the hood which is full Med Gull with extensive eye crescents. In flight primaries 10 and 9 have large white tips with extensive black on the outer web of p10 and long grey tongues along all inner webs. Primaries 8 and 7 have black tips. The mantle and wing colour is between Black-headed and Common but there is a broad white trailing edge to the wing as in Common. There are small black marks/tips on 3 tail feathers which would indicate a 2cy bird but the extent of white on P10 and P9 hints at an older bird. Legs and bill colour Common. It did not call.
Incidentally, there were 50+ Sandwich terns, 30+ Commons and at least 7 Arctics diving for Whiting in the pool at the same time plus a couple of hundred mixed gulls - pretty chaotic.

Could it be a pure Med Gull though with xanthochromism though, due to a lack of red pigment and excess of yellow pigment ?

Phil

That's an interesting thought Phil but the primary pattern, as described above, is closer to Common Gull. Also the grey shade of the plumage is darker than any Med would be. I would love to have heard it call. Also the legs and bill are not quite right for either Common or Med.