Heuglin's Gull  Larus heuglini heuglini
December 27th 2011 Choshi Chiba Japan

This typical adult Heuglin's Gull looked identical to hundreds of Heuglin's Gulls we saw in Oman 2005.


Note the obviously darker mantle and thinner yellowish legs compared to the Vega Gull on the left. 


The head streaking was thinner and sharper than in Vega Gulls, and was almost restricted to the hindneck.


The darkness of its mantle outdistanced Vega Gulls and many 'Taimyr Gulls', and matched Black-tailed Gulls.




Note the small single mirror on P10. The molt was very late. Both wings still retained old P10 and P9. A so-called 'moon' that is often broader in 'Taimyr Gulls' was barely found on the inner web of P5 as a quite narrow white line. This wing pattern was also identical to many typical Heuglin's Gulls in Oman 2005. Moreover, some/many birds in Oman showed "more white/less black" wing pattern that was somewhat approaching 'Taimyer Gull'.