Israel is a unique location to watch large gulls in the WP, offering identification challenges of some of the least known gull taxa,
easily observed in more than 7 locations from September to late March.
This fast identification guide includes 108 pages of photos and information
It aims to assist birders of all levels to find their way through the large gull group.
Enjoy !
2. This presentation was created
to assist birders to identify
mainly adult large gulls in Israel
3. Some general notes:
• Images are not a replacement to identification in the field
• Image processing often alters colors.
• Slide 7 aims to compare typical mantle colors to Kodak grey scale,
but in no way to determine the exact Kodak scale number of each taxa.
• Some taxa show significant variation in mantle colors, which can
also be affected by light conditions
• Gulls show much variation in size, colors, and even in major ID marks.
Do not be afraid to leave gulls unidentified, for instance: “Larus sp.”
“heuglini - type”..
• Mid January – late March, and especially mid June – mid September
are very difficult periods for gull ID, with so many retarted, strange,
moulting individuals that make ID even more challenging.
• And finally and above all – don’t fear trying, its great fun
4. Basic gull topography
Orbital ring
Iris
Mirrors
Gonys Moon
P9
P10
P5
Mirror
Secondaries
T6
T1
Advanced topography information in the following links : Gull topography 1 , Gull topography 2
5. Wingtip patterns
Yellow-legged Gull
P10 edge, All – most white
P9 – white spot
Black on P10 – P5
Caspian Gull P10 All – most white
Very small amount of black P9 – mostly white
on wingtip (smallest of all
YL Gulls) Black on P10 – P6
very little /missing black on
P5
Armenian Gull
White mirror on P10 Black reaches P5 and
sometimes P4
Allot of black
on wing tip
Heuglin’s Gull
Large moons at P5-P7
White mirrors on P10 and P9
Medium amount of black Black on P10 – P5
on wing tip
6. Head shapes
Armenian Gull Yellow-legged Gull
Steep
forehead, Moderate
rounded head forehead
Massive
Relatively bill,
small big gonys
bill
Heuglin’s Gull Caspian Gull
Relatively steep
forehead
Flat
forehead
Large bill,
prominent gonys Long straight
bill
8. Moult
► Moult is one of the most important ID features
► Large gulls passes a post juvenile moult which is an incomplete moult,
argenteus (more south and western) will moult only scapulars
argentatus (northmost birds) may even skip the post juvenile moult
heuglini has a rapid and extensive moult only after 7 months, normally including all
wing coverts, but very often also tail and secondaries and even some random primaries
fuscus is the most extensive one, very often including primaries as well
michahellis and to a lesser extent cachinnans include scapulars and wing coverts
which may start as early as August in these southern species.
► First moult is from juvenile -> post-juvenile moult in autumn and winter
The plumage after this post-juvenile moult is often called 1st winter plumage
► In spring, a complete moult will take place throughout the summer, which brings birds
in '2nd winter' plumage
► Then again, each autumn an incomplete moult, and each summer a complete moult
(discluding heuglini and fuscus)
► In general northern and eastern taxa (i.e heuglini, fuscus) moult later than southern
and western taxa (i.e. michahellis)
► Long-distance migrants often moult on wintering grounds
► Primary moult begins from center of wing towards tip: P1 to P10 usually one feather at
a time on both wings,
► Secondaries and their coverts often replaced simultaneously
► In principle young birds have dark eyes that become paler as they age
9. Comparison of breeding range to moult timing in large gulls
Moult
start
heuglini
fuscus
graellsii
intermedius
barabensis
cachinnans
armenicus
michahellis
North-
easterly
Reproduced with permission of the authors from: Liebers, D., de Knijff, P. and Helbig, A.J. (2004).
The herring gull complex is not a ring species. Proc. R. Soc. Lond 271: 893-901.
11. P9 almost full size
P10 half grown
P1-P8 all new
Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, adult, end of primary moult
Ashdod 23/1/10
12. Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus
Main ID features at rest Main ID features of adult in flight
Bill – rather short, slimmer than michahellis Wing – adults show dark grey upperparts,
and shorter than fuscus, typical adults show 4
colored bill (see slide 9) black on primaries up to P5 and
mirrors on P10 only, closer to adult
Gonys – medium size, but might look
confusingly large at short range, and in juvenile michahellis wing
males.
1st - 2nd winter birds show very pale
Legs – from pink in 1st winter to yellow in adult,
but never orange as in michahellis upperwing, especially median coverts and
inner primaries
Eye – dark in most individuals
Size – smaller and shorter-reared than
michahellis, larger than fuscus, but size can
vary from very small females to very large
males
Head and mantle Color Color – head typically
very rounded, adults mantle is rather dark grey,
perhaps closer to heuglini than to michahelis.
1st autumn birds are seen in Israel from June.
From 1st winter onwards they become much
paler up to very creamy whitish brown when
bleached
Status in Israel - this is the commonest gull in
most of Israel year-round, with large winter
concentrations in fishponds, often inland.
From end May – September juveniles are seen
in Israel (especially Ma’agan Michael) and are
certainly very confusing to identify from same
age michahellis.
13. Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, adult spring, Ashdod 21/3/09
14. Most adults
show dark eye
Medium-short bill,
steep forehead and
Relatively dark mantle rounded head
lighter than heuglini
darker than michahellis,
and cachinnans
Black band on bill
characteristic in
winter
Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, adult winter, Ma’agan Michael 1/10/09
15. P10 – white mirror
Black on
P10 – P4
Much black on
wing tip
Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, adult winter, Ashdod 6/1/10
16. Extensive moult from
early May – late August
Armenian Gull - Larus armenicus, 1st summer, Ma’agan Michael 14/4/09
17. Often dark markings around eye
and on ear coverts
Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, 1st summer birds, Ma’agan Michael 14/4/09
19. Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, 1st summer, Ma’agan Michael 24/4/09
20. This armenicus is in its complete moult stage,
started perhaps in early march
Between mid April – late August
heavily worn and
very bleached
Central median
coverts are new
Inner primaries
P1-P3 are new
Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, 1st summer, Ma’agan Michael 14/4/09
22. Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis
Main ID features at rest Main ID features of adult in flight
Bill – massive, yellow-orange in summer Wing – black wingtip with white
and early autumn, longer than armenicus mirrors on P10 and P9, black reaches P5
but not as cachinnans, quite similar to
heuglini When comparing michahellis and heuglini both
Gonys – prominent species share similar amount of black on wing,
though heuglini shows white on P10 only
Legs - thick yellow orange in summer, Juvenile – it is important to further discuss the ID
yellow – pale yellow in early autumn of juveniles and 1st autumn birds of this
species, as they are seen in Israel from mid
Eye – large, pale to white iris, orbital ring June – mid September, mostly seen among
juveniles and 1st autumn armenicus that also
red in summer (when most common in accumulate along the Israeli Mediterranean coast
Israel) (Rosh Hanikra, Acre, Atilt, Ma‟agan Michael) during
the same period.
Size – large gull, same size group of
heuglini and male cachinnans In general it is a larger bird than armenicus, bill
massive and gonys much stronger
Mantle Color – moderately pale mantle Colors are very similar at this age and unlike
colors, darker than cachinnans paler than mentioned in the book of Gulls (Olsen and
armenicus Larsson 2004), the juveniles are not
much paler, such difference can be seen only
from 2nd winter
Status in Israel – summer and autumn
visitor from mid April – mid September. These 2 species are not as easy to distinguish
The only breeding gull in Israel, from Tel at this age as often described though bill and head
Aviv to Rosh Hanikra, structure being a reliable feature.
about 20 pairs estimated to breed in
Israel (May - August). Don‟t confuse with 1st winter fuscus that are
It is most dominant amongst sea shore always dark
gulls (only armenicus can also be seen
during this period)
23. Mantle and wing color lighter than
armenicus darker than cachinnans
Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, adult summer (early autumn) plumage,
Nachlieli Island Rosh Hanikra 17/9/09
24. P10 - White
P9 - white mirror
The very last coverts of a young bird
Black on
P10 – P5
Massive bill, bright yellow year-round
(in adults)
Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, 4th summer, Tel Aviv University Zoological
Garden (natural population) 22/5/10
25. Massive head
and bill
Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, adult, summer plumage
Ma'agan Michael 22/5/09
26. Yellow-legged Gull – Larus michaellis, Tel Aviv University Zoological Garden
(natural population) 5/6/10
31. Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, fledgling, Tel Aviv University
Zoological Garden (natural population) 18/6/10
32. Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, Fledgling, Tel Aviv
University Zoological Garden (natural population) 18/6/10
33. Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, adult and 2 fledglings,
Ma'agan Michael 6/6/08
34. Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans
Main ID features at rest Main ID features of adult in flight
Bill – long and very straight. Wing – adult is easily identified in flight,
Yellow in winter changes to yellow-orange
in spring. Forehead rather flat. very pale grey upperwing, very little
The small head and long bill give an impression black on the underwing, though black
of a very long bill reaches P5. Dominant grey moons on
primaries give the impression of very
Gonys – extremely small and hardly little black on wingtip
noticeable from distance.
White mirrors on P10 and P9, often totally
Legs – slender, in winter (when mostly seen) white-tipped
pale yellow, longer and thicker legs than fuscus
Eye – Pale to darkish iris (often darkish in
spring)
Size and jizz – quite big, slightly smaller than
heuglini but males can be larger than
female heuglini.
General jizz of a long-reared and slender
gull, with long wings and long, slender bill
Mantle Color – The palest of all Israeli gulls,
unmistakable with its pale silver mantle.
Shows rather little variation in mantle color
Status in Israel – a winter gull very dominant
in northern Israel, especially Acre area
where the largest concentrations occur.
Few hundreds seen also in Ashdod area mid
December – late March
35. Long slender bill in comparison
to all adult gulls seen in Israel
Adult uniformly pale mantle,
wings and coverts (palest of all Israeli
large white-headed gulls)
Small gonys
Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, Ashdod 30/1/10
36. Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, very large male
Ashdod 19/3/08
37. Comparison between
cachinnans (upper photo) and
michahellis (lower photo)
taken at the same date and
light conditions
note the difference in:
Head shape
Bill color
Bill length
Leg color
Leg thickness
Upperparts color
Eye color
Ashdod 11/12/09
39. Very easy to identify in flight
Very little black on wing tip • P10 + P9 with white tip
• black on P10-P5
Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, Ashdod 7/3/10
40. Adults have pink or
yellow legs
Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, Ashdod 23/1/10
41. Steppe Gull - Larus barabensis
Main ID features at rest Main ID features of adult in flight
Bill – as this taxon belongs to the cachinnans Wing – extensive black primaries,
group, as expected the bill is long and very reaches P3 (much black) with white
straight. Most adult birds have 3 colored bill tip mirror on P10
red gonys, black between gonys and tip, and
white nail – bill tip
Gonys – very small as in cachinnans
Legs – moderately thin and short, similar to
fuscus
Eye – usually dark (but not black) iris, sometimes
pale. Eye very small in comparison to other gulls,
and located in the front of the head (very good ID
feature).
Thin red orbital ring.
Size and jizz– medium sized gull, intermediate
between armenicus and small cachinnans.
Often stands in a peculiar 45º posture tilted
forward (not mentioned in literature)
Head and mantle Color – moderately dark, bluish
touch, intermediate between armenicus and
heuglini. Sometimes nape and back of head with
faint streaks
Status in Israel – more common in autumn
(mainly November) though can be seen
frequently in winter and spring too, both in Eilat
and along the Mediterranean coast (September –
March)
42. Small eye in comparison to
all other YL Gulls
Long, straight bill
resembles cachinnans
Steppe Gull - Larus barabensis, bird rehabilitated in NPA’s Afek Wildlife Hospital,
ringed and released by Yoav Perlman at Ashdod seashore 16/2/08
48. Herring Gull – Larus argentatus
Main ID features at rest Main ID features of adult in flight
General Notes – ssp. argentatus (North Wing – black reaches P5,mirrors on P10 and
Europe) is more likely to occur in Israel (one P9. In argentatus P10 is white to the tip.
record, see notes below). In Argenteus P10 black at tip
ssp. argenteus (West Europe, mainly England)
was never recorded in Israel and is less likely
to occur. argentatus shows darker mantle than
argenteus and less black on wingtip
Head and Bill – head and nape show extensive
brown marking in winter plumage,
Gonys – noticeable with red spot year round, in
winter shows faint black ring on bill tip
Legs – pink both in argentatus and argenteus
Eye – very pale white
Size – large gull, as big as michahellis
Mantle Color – pale grey, resembles michahellis
darker in argentatus than in argenteus
Status in Israel – ssp. argentatus recorded only
once by Ehud Dovrat et al. on 3/1/1987
Ashdod former sewage ponds
52. Brown marking Very pale eye
on head and nape
Pale mantle colors
Kodak grey scale 4-6
Pink Legs
Herring Gull - Larus argentatus argenteus
Brighton England 26/11/08
53. Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini
Main ID features at rest Main ID features of adult in flight
Bill – strong and heavy
Wing – black on P10 to P4 (and even 3),
Gonys – big and prominent large white mirror on P10 and sometimes
small mirror on P9.
Legs – long and thick
Eye – pale iris Large grey moons on P7 to P5, observed
regularly in the field, unmentioned in
Size – can vary from very large gulls
literature. This distinctive feature can also
(slide 54) to very slim gentle females
(slide 60) , but most will look as large be seen in barabensis and should be further
gulls studied.
Mantle color – very dark, perhaps the
darkest of all “pale gulls”, can be as dark
as fuscus intermedius
Special features – in winter, nape and
back of head are heavily streaked. From
mid January – March nape becomes clean
white, or with faint streaks on nape
Status in Israel – main wintering
population arrives November – mid
March, mainly along Med. coast and Eilat.
Migrating birds arrive late September,
can be seen mainly at Ashdod seashore
and ponds (Yavne 4).
Only ssp. heuglini recorded in Israel,
taimyrensis unrecorded yet.
54. Usually large and bulky,
streaked hindneck and
nape in winter
Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini winter plumage, Ashdod 15/1/08
55. Compare with previous slide:
same date, 2 different
plumages / moult stages
Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, spring plumage, Ashdod 15/1/08
56. Much larger gull
than Baltic Gull
Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, winter plumage, Ashdod 15/1/08
57. Some individuals may
show faint stripes on
hindneck also in January
Dark mantle
and wing coverts
Long tarsus
Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, Ashdod 30/1/10
58. Faint fuscus - like
secondary pattern,
medium-dark secondaries
Large mirror on P10,
small mirror on P9
Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, Ashdod 6/1/10
59. Clear contrast between
black wingtip and rest
of upperparts
(no contrast in fuscus)
Large mirror on P10,
Black P10-P4 small mirror on P9
Large grey / White
crescents on P7 – P5
Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, Eilat 1/3/08
60. Extremely small females almost
same size as female fuscus !
Heuglin‟s Gull - Larus heuglini, very small female, Ashdod (Yavne 4) 19/9/09
(in the back - Baltic Gull)
64. Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus
Main ID features at rest Main ID features of adult in flight
Bill – long and straight, rather thin Wing – very typical, the easiest
underwing of all large gulls of
Gonys – small to unnoticeable Israel (see slide 57) – totally dark
secondaries
Legs – very short and moderately thin
Eye – dark till 2nd summer, in adults very pale
but not white. Orbital ring red in summer and
autumn, but red still noticeable in winter
Size – medium sized gull slender with
elongated rear, it is the smallest of all large
gulls and the easiest to identify, when
compared with the Intermedius and the
graellsii (not definitely recorded in Israel)
who are much paler
Mantle Color – usually coal Black, but shows
variations with individuals showing paler
mantle, fron heuglini type (in intermedius)
up to armenicus pale (in Graellsii)
Special features – some individuals
(especially from Norway) can be heavily
streaked on the head and nape (see slide 42)
Status in Israel – second commonest gull
after armenicus, especially on migration, in
autumn seen from mid August in migration
and in spring until late May. Winters in Israel
in large numbers mainly in Ashdod area.
67. Easily identified in
flight - all underwing
remiges black
Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus, Ashdod 9/1/08
68. Very dark body,
wings and mantle
Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus 1st winter, (ringed as pullus on 27.7.08)
Ashdod 27/2/09
69. Very dark head,
body, wings and mantle
Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus 1st winter Ashdod 2/10/09
70. Very dark body, underwing coverts
and primaries
Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus 1st winter, Ashdod 24/9/09
71. Baltic Gull 1st winter Ashdod 11/12/09 Comparison between 1st winter
Baltic Gull and 1st summer
Yellow-legged Gull
Both can be seen together on Israeli coasts
during late August to mid September
Delicate head and bill
Dark brown bird
Mantle and wing coverts with dark
centers and thin white margins
Relatively short legs
Yellow-legged Gull juvenile, Tel Aviv University
Zoological Garden 18/6/10 Massive head and bill
Paler brown bird
Mantle and wing coverts with smaller
Dark centers and broader white margins
Relatively long and thick legs
72. Note active post-juvenile moult. All 2nd generation feathers very
neat, recently replaced, vs. steppe - taxa which have the post-juv moult
much earlier in the year (active moult in Aug-Sept)
2nd generation feathers
Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus, advanced 1st winter,
Ashdod 27/2/09
73. Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus intermedius
Main ID features at rest Main ID features of adult in flight
Bill – as in fuscus Wing – as in fuscus, but of course
lighter
Gonys – as in fuscus
Legs – as in fuscus Upperwing shows contrast between
primaries (P10-P5) and rest of wing
Eye – as in fuscus
intermedius is slightly darker than graellsii,
Size – as in fuscus but it shares the same moult strategy in
Mantle Color – variation between dark autumn
heuglini to armenicus.
It is important to mention that there are as
many as 6-8 black / grey levels within the
normal variation of this taxon, and
therefore it is difficult to positively ID
unringed birds according to mantle colors.
Status in Israel – as in fuscus but much
rarer, some tens are possibly seen from
September to late March. See also next
slide.
Most are regarded as „intermedius-type”,
with small female heuglini being the main
pitfall. Best separated by head and neck
streaking.
74. ► No certain photographs in Israel
► Possibly very rare in Israel
► 2 observations of definite intermedius:
1. Ring JN4N dark blue collected at Dugit
sea shore 31°58‘54"N 034°48‘62"E
on 2/10/2003, ringed as pullus at Rauna, Farsund,
Vest-Agder, Norway 58°03'33"N 06°40'10"E
Seen recently in its breeding colony in summer 2010
2. Ring JV7K dark blue, observed by Ehud Dovrat,
Ashdod 10 and 15/9/08
► This true ID and status of this taxon in Israel needs to
be further studied
75. Dark grey mantle,
Not coal black
like fuscus
Lesser Black-backed Gull ssp. (possibly inermedius) Ashdod 30/10/09
76. P10 is in little short (same length as P9)
Therefore it may well be Larus fuscus fuscus
and not intermedius
Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus ssp
Ashdod, 27/2/10
77. Lesser Black Backed Gull – Larus fuscus ssp, Ashdod 9/1/08. Ringed
in Nordfugløy, Karlsøy, Troms, Norway, in a mixed colony of
L.f.intermedius and L.f.fuscus
79. Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus graellsii
Main ID features at rest Main ID features of adult in flight
Bill – as in fuscus Wing – as in fuscus, but lighter colors
Upperwing with contrast between primaries
gonys – as in fuscus (P10-P5) and rest of wing
graellsii is slightly lighter then intermedius
Legs – as in fuscus but it shares the same moult strategy in
autumn
Eye – as in fuscus
note the “Dutch intergrade‟ form
Size – as in fuscus Dutch intergrade refer to birds from the
Continental North Sea coast, which are
Mantle and head color – varies from dark intermediate in grey tone between graellsii
heuglini up to paler michahellis. In winter and intermedius
shows extensive dark head streaks with
white face; such individuals have never
been seen in Israel
Status in Israel – uncertain, individuals
possibly of this taxon seen annually along
the Ashdod - Ma'agan Michael seashore.
No confirmed records from Israel of this
taxon.
Due to mixed colonies, hybridization and
variation in mantle colors of all fuscus taxa,
graellsii cannot be separated from
intermedius if unringed!
83. Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus
Main ID features at rest Main ID features of adult in flight
Bill – heavy and large Wing – resembles fuscus in upperparts
and underparts, though more grayish
Gonys – massive and less black upperwing.
Legs – pink in all plumages and ages Extensive white on P10, P9 and white
tips to P6
Eye – pale but not white
Broad white upperwing trailing edge
Size – the largest of all gulls, larger
than ichthyaetus
Mantle color – variation between
black as fuscus or paler between
heuglini and fuscus
Status in Israel – extremely rare,
but since January 2006 an adult has
been returning annually to winter
at Acre port and coast from
December – mid March
84. Massive head and
bill Dark back almost as
fuscus
Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus, Acre port 10/3/09
85. P10 – tip all white
P9 - tip all - almost all white
Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus, Acre port 10/3/09
86. Pink legs
Broad white
Trailing edge
Great Black backed Gull - Larus marinus, Acre Port 10/3/09
87. fuscus-like
P10/9 – tip all
white Great Black-backed
underwing but
broader trailing Gull Larus marinus
edge
Acre port 1/1/10
88. Pallas’s Gull - Larus ichthyaetus
Main ID features at rest Main ID features of adult in flight
This is a distinctive and well-described gull, Wing – P10 to P5 tips with very little
shows rather limited variation black and massive white mirrors and
tongues
Bill – long, orange with black ring and white
tip, swollen towards tip Extensive white primaries from third
winter make it easy to identify at any
Gonys – no special characters distance
Legs – no special characters
Eye – dark
Size – the second largest gull in Israel
(after marinus)
Head– in summer completely black with
beautiful white (“broken”) orbital ring.
In winter and in all ages (from 1st winter
onwards) head shows extensive black
markings
Mantle Color –quite pale grey
Status in Israel – a winter visitor from late
October – late March (but most arrive in
January).
In some years hundreds seen in the Bet
She‟an Valley and / or Acre area
96. Gull-watching in Israel
Ehud Dovrat, March 2009
Ehud is the pioneer of gulls color rings tracking and of gull identification in Israel
97. Major gull watching Lake Kinneret and
Bet She’an Valley
sites in Israel – armenicus October –
March (thousands)
where and when ichthyaetus December –
early March, up to 1500
Acre area and northern Med. coast
cachinnans December – March,
up to 6000
armenicus October – March Harod Valley
michahellis several pairs breeding on armenicus October –
islands off Rosh Hanikra April – August March (many hundreds)
ichthyaetus December –
early March, hundreds
Ma’agan Michael: sea shore and fishponds
armenicus present year round,
many hundreds in spring, many
Thousands in winter
Tel Aviv metropolin
ichthyaetus December – Early March,
Tel Aviv univ. and
Up to 100
Ramat Gan Safari
michahellis 2-4 pairs breeding on
michahellis 7-10 pairs
Pigeon Island April – August
breeding, April – July
armenicus October -
Ashdod - Yavne 4 ponds, seashore and March
rubbish dump – the prime gull watching
site in Israel
fuscus September – mid April, up to 1000
heuglini October – mid March, up to 300 Eilat – north beach, KM
cachinnans December – mid March, 19, KM 20
up to 500 fuscus strong migration
barabensis November – mid march, in spring, mid March –
up to 200 late May
armenicus October – March mainly heuglini mid March –
1st - 2nd winter birds late May
98. Caspian gulls – Larus cachinnans flock in an afternoon pre-roost
gathering, part of a 5000 birds flock , Acre Valley 22/1/10
99. Pallas's Gulls - Larus ichthyaetus, Israel highest record number (1300+)
Sde Eliyahu, Bet She’an Valley 21/2/08
100. Ashdod – Israel's top site for gull
watching and for color ring
reading.
This site comprises of three sub-
sites which hugely attract gulls
1. Shallow water ponds
2. Open garbage dump
3. Sea shore
Development threats are hovering
over this site (new highway, new
industrial zone).
Will it last ?
102. Reading color rings in Israel
Most rings in Israel are read nowadays in Ashdod sea shore and Ponds
31°51„09"N
34°42„26"E
Yavne 3 ponds
Yavne 4 ponds Ben Zakai reservoir,
alternative resting point
103. Reading color rings in Israel
• In late 1990’s (12/98 – 3/02) 7 Russian and 6 Ukraine cachinnans rings read at
Shifdan (former Dan sewage farm) and Ashdod (Ehud Dovrat). Since then all rings read
in Israel are of Larus fuscus fuscus
• Best period to read color rings is from the 3rd week of September till late March
• The ring code consists of color and digits / letters
• As there are now too few free numbers left it became possible to read the same
number on 2 different colors. Therefore it is essential to record both color and number.
• Rings starting with J ringed in Norway
Rings starting with C ringed in Finland
Rings starting with M and A ringed in Sweden
Rings starting with V ringed in Denmark (seen only once in Israel By Ehud Dovrat)
• One of the world leading gulls ringers Risto Juvaste from Finland is leading a project
ringing gulls in the White Sea area, southern Russia, and Finland.
These rings are yellow KJ_ _ (ringed at Onega lake, Russia), white C_ _N
(ringed in Finland), and white KR_ _ (ringed at Solovetsky island, Onega Bay White
Sea, Russia)
• Red Rings with white digits / letters, starting with U (fuscus, armenicus, barabensis,
cachinnans), were ringed in Israel by Yoav Perlman after rehabilitation
in the NPA Wildlife Hospital or trapped at Ashdod
104.
105.
106. Gulls color ringing in Israel
Since 2008 red color rings beginning
with U are being used in Israel
Some birds were found
poisoned / exhausted, rehabilitated
at NPA Wildlife Hospital and
released: fuscus, armenicus,
cachinnans
Other gulls were trapped at Ashdod:
fuscus, armenicus, cachinnans
michahellis pullus ringed since May
2010 in Tel Aviv University
Zoological Garden
Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus ringed at Afek NPA Hospital 8/1/2010
107. Some links to recommended gulls sites
► Gull topography 1
► Gull topography 2
► www.gull-research.org
► Identification of 2CY heuglini gull
► Identification of 2CY fuscus gull
► http://www.berksbirds.co.uk/articles/caspi
angullid.asp
108. Selected References
► Olsen, K.M, and Larsson, H. (2005). Gulls of Europe, Asia and North America.
Helm, London.
► Liebers, D., de Knijff, P. and Helbig, A. J. (2004). The herring gull complex is
not a ring species. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. 271: 893-901.