Larus argentatus ssp.
First winter
January 14th. and 16th. 2002
Byparken, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
Some field notes
Size: A big gull, but not outstanding compared to (presumably) male L. a. argentatus.
General coloring: Brown. Seemingly darker than all other second calendar year gulls nearby. Compared to argentatus juveniles, it was deeper brown and more evenly colored on flanks and sides of lower neck.
Mantle and scapulars: Most feathers first generation. Some scapulars moulted to second generation. Dorsum moult in our argentatus has a wide range in January, from complete juveniles to birds with all second generation feathers. Having moulted only a few feathers should therefore fit both argentatus and smithsonianus.
Tertials: Plain dark brown with white fringes restricted to the tip.
Tail and tail coverts: The tail was plain brown, with some narrow barred white only on inner part of the outer feathers. Both undertail- and uppertail coverts pretty heavily barred compared to an argentatus, but probably not outside the argentatus-variation.
Greater coverts: Pattern more unordered than in classical argentatus. Inner part of most GC's with darker base.
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Posted 12.06.2002
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