On this page we are presenting photos of the breeding gulls caught this year in colony in Jankowice gravelpits near Zator in southern Poland. This colony numbered 11 nests. During two days, we caught 9 individuals on nests. Detailed measurements and descriptions of captured birds were taken. One of the caught birds, showed characters of the hybrid between Larus argentatus argentatus and Larus cachinnans cachinnans, next one was typical L. cachinnans michahellis and other two were typical L. cachinnans cachinnans. Some birds had intermediate characters and it is difficult to establish their subspecies, although measurements point to L.c. cachinnans.  We hope,that, it will be a kind of test, which (as we hope) will be a point in discussion whether Herring and Yellow-legged Gulls can be safely separated in the field. On the published pictures field characters are optimally visible.

We suggest everybody to carefully analyse the pictures and tell the subspecific identity of these birds. All identification comments and answers are very welcomed via e-mail to: czaplon@czaplon.most.org.pl

 
Photo 1.  (Jacek Betleja).  Ind. 1.

 
Photo 2.  (Marcin Faber). Ind. 2.

Photo 3.  (Marcin Faber). Ind. 2.

 
Photo 4.   (Jacek Betleja). Ind. 3.

 
Photo 5.  (Jacek Betleja).  Ind. 3.

 
Photo 6.  (Marcin Faber). Ind. 4.

 
Photo 7.  (Jacek Betleja). Ind. 4.

 
Photo 8.  (Marcin Faber). Ind. 5.

 
Photo 9.  (Marcin Faber). Ind. 5.

Photo 10.  (Paweł Sowa). 

1st-summer Yellow-legged Gull (Larus cachinnans michahellis) - 17. 04. 99,  Zaborze, near Oświęcim (phot. P. Sowa).