Field identification guide to

large gulls in Israel

Created by:
Amir Ben Dov and Yoav Perlman, October 2009
Updated June 2010
amir.bendov@gmail.com
yoav.perlman@gmail.com

Moderator:
Ehud Dovrat

Special thanks:
Morten Helberg – Norway, Risto Juvaste – Finland,
Theo Muusse – The Netherlands, Hadoram Shirihai,
Prof. Peter de Knijff - The Netherlands, Klaus Malling Olsen

Images:
Theo Muusse, Gal Shon, Avi Meir, Yoav Perlman, Amir Ben Dov
* Unless stated otherwise, all images by Amir Ben Dov
© All images are copyright of the photographers
This presentation was created
to assist birders to identify
mainly adult large gulls in Israel
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
 Basic gull topography

Orbital ring

Iris

Mirrors

Gonys Tongue / Moon

P9
P10

P5
Mirror

Secondaries

T6

T1

Additional topography information in the following links : Gull topography 1 , Gull topography 2
 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
 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
cachinnans michahellis

armenicus heuglini
 Moult
► Moult is one of the most important ID features
► Large gulls start moulting at the age 10-12 months
► First moult from juvenile to 2nd winter plumage is
continuous and complete. Next moults usually
incomplete and faster
► 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 P8 one feather at a time on both wings, and then
P9/10
► Secondaries and their coverts often replaced
simultaneously
► In principle young birds have dark eyes that become
paler as they age
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-
893-901.
Primaries moult once a year from
inner P1 to outer P10

Unmoulted
P6 starts growing secondaries

P5 half grown
T1 – T3
(central tail feathers)
P1 - P4 new worn will soon moult
and fully grown

P10 P8 P7 All old and worn

P9

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, adult, halfway through primary moult

Ma'agan Michael 9/7/10 Gal Shon ©
 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
 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-

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-
year-round, with large winter
concentrations in fishponds, often inland.
From end May – September juveniles are seen
in Israel (especially Ma’
Ma’agan Michael) and are
certainly very confusing to identify from same
age michahellis.
Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, adult spring, Ashdod 21/3/09
 Most adults
show dark eye

Medium-short bill,
steep forehead and
Relatively dark mantle rounded head
lighter than heuglini
darker than michahellis,
cachinnans and barabensis

Black band on bill

characteristic in
winter

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, adult winter, Ma’agan Michael 1/10/09

 P10 – white mirror

Black on
P10 – P4

Much black on
wing tip

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, adult winter, Ashdod 6/1/10

 Extensive moult
from early May – late August

Armenian Gull - Larus armenicus, 1st summer, Ma’agan Michael 14/4/09

Often dark markings around eye
and on ear coverts

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, 1st summer birds, Ma’agan Michael 14/4/09
Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, 2nd winter (early stage),
Ashdod 12/9/08
Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, 2nd summer, Ma’agan Michael 24/4/09
Between mid April – late August
heavily worn and very bleached

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, 2nd summer, Ma’agan Michael 14/4/09

Armenian Gull – Larus armenicus, retarded 3rd winter, Ashdod 02/10/09
 Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis
Main ID features at rest
Bill – massive, yellow-orange in summer
and early autumn, longer than armenicus
but not as cachinnans, quite similar to
heuglini
Gonys – prominent
Legs - thick yellow orange in summer,
yellow – pale yellow in early autumn
Eye – large, pale to white iris, orbital ring
red in summer (when most common in
Israel)
Size – large gull, same size group of
heuglini and male cachinnans
Mantle Color – moderately pale mantle
colors, darker than cachinnans paler than
armenicus
Status in Israel – summer and autumn
visitor from mid April – mid September.
The only breeding gull in Israel, from Tel
Aviv to Rosh Hanikra,
about 20 pairs estimated to breed in
Israel (May - August).
It is most dominant amongst sea shore
gulls (only armenicus can also be seen
during this period)
Main ID features of adult in flight
Wing – black wingtip with white
mirrors on P10 and P9, black reaches P5
When comparing michahellis and heuglini both
species share similar amount of black on wing,
though heuglini shows white on P10 only
Juvenile – it is important to further discuss the ID
of juveniles and 1st autumn birds of this
species, as they are seen in Israel from mid
June – mid September, mostly seen among
juveniles and 1st autumn armenicus that also
accumulate along the Israeli Mediterranean coast
(Rosh Hanikra, Acre, Atilt, Ma’
Ma’agan Michael) during
the same period.
In general it is a larger bird than armenicus, bill
massive and gonys much stronger
Colors are very similar at this age and unlike
mentioned in the book of Gulls (Olsen and
Larsson 2004), the juveniles are not
much paler, such difference can be seen only
from 2nd winter
These 2 species are not as easy to distinguish
at this age as often described though bill and head
structure being a reliable feature.
Don’t confuse with 1st winter fuscus that are
Don’
always dark
 Mantle and wing color lighter than
armenicus darker than cachinnans

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, adult summer plumage, Nachlieli

Island Rosh Hanikra 17/9/09
 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
 Massive head
and bill

Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, adult, summer plumage

Ma'agan Michael 22/5/09
Yellow-legged Gull – Larus michaellis, Tel Aviv University Zoological Garden
(natural population) 5/6/10
Yellow-legged Gull – Larus michahellis, winter plumage
(fairly rare winterer in Israel) Ashdod 30/10/09
 Yellow-legged Gull – Larus michahellis, winter plumage
(fairly rare winterer in Israel) Jaffa Port 4/2/10, Yoav Perlman ©
Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, 2nd summer (3CY),
Eilat 7/5/10. Image by Avi Meir ©
Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, 2nd summer (3CY), extensive moult
Safari, Ramat Gan (natural population) 4/6/10
Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, fledgling, Tel Aviv University
Zoological Garden (natural population) 18/6/10
Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, Fledgling, Tel Aviv
University Zoological Garden (natural population) 18/6/10
Yellow-legged Gull - Larus michahellis, adult and 2 fledglings,
Ma'agan Michael 6/6/08
 Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans
Main ID features at rest
Bill – long and very straight.
Yellow in winter changes to yellow-orange
in spring. Forehead rather flat.
The small head and long bill give an impression
of a very long bill
Gonys – extremely small and hardly
noticeable from distance.
Legs – slender, in winter (when mostly seen)
pale yellow, longer and thicker legs than fuscus
Main ID features of adult in flight
Wing – adult is easily identified in flight,
very pale grey upperwing, very little
black on the underwing, though black
reaches P5. Dominant grey moons on
primaries give the impression of very
little black on wingtip
White mirrors on P10 and P9, often totally
white-tipped

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
 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

Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, very large male
Ashdod 19/3/08
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
 Much white, little black

Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, Ashdod 6/1/10

 Very easy to identify in flight
Very little black on wing tip • P10 + P9 all white tip
• black on P10-P5

Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, Ashdod 7/3/10

 Adults have pink or
yellow legs

Caspian Gull - Larus cachinnans, Ashdod 23/1/10

 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–

jizz– medium sized gull, intermediate
between armenicus and small cachinnans.
Often stands in a peculiar 45º
45º posture tilted
forward (not
(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)
 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
Steppe Gull – Larus barabensis, Acre sea shore 7/2/09
 Often bluish mantle tones,
darker than michahellis,
paler than armenicus

Steppe Gull – Larus barabensis, Ashdod sea shore 27/2/10

Steppe Gull – Larus barabensis, Ashdod 16/3/10
 P10 - white mirror Black reaches P3
P9 – usually no mirror

Steppe Gull - Larus barabensis, Eilat north beach 1/3/08

 Bluish mantle
and wings P10
P9
P8
P7

P4 P6
P5

P3 shows black

Steppe Gull – Larus barabensis, Ashdod 16/3/10

 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
Herring Gull - Larus argentatus argentatus, the Netherlands 3/1/2002
Image by Theo Muusse ©
 Larus argentatus argentatus 3cy,
the Netherlands 6/2/03

Larus argentatus argentatus wingtips,

the Netherlands 6/1/92

Images by Theo Muusse ©

 Brown marking Very pale eye
on head and nape

Pale mantle colors

Kodak grey scale 3-3.5

Herring Gull - Larus argentatus argenteus

Brighton England 26/11/08
 Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini
Main ID features at rest
Bill – strong and heavy
Gonys – big and prominent
Legs – long and thick
Eye – pale iris
Size – very large gull, in fact one of the
largest gulls of Israel (except marinus
which is usually larger)
Mantle color – very dark, perhaps the
darkest of all “pale gulls”, can be as dark
as fuscus intermedius
Main ID features of adult in flight
Wing – black on P10 to P5, large
white mirror on P10 and sometimes
small mirror on P9.
Large grey moons on P7 to P5,
observed regularly in the field,
unmentioned in literature. This
distinctive feature can also be seen
in barabensis and should be further
studied.

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.
Usually large and bulky,
streaked hindneck and
nape in winter

Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini winter plumage, Ashdod 15/1/08

Compare with previous slide:
same date, 2 different
plumages / moult stages

Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, spring plumage, Ashdod 15/1/08

 Much larger gull
than Baltic Gull

Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, winter plumage, Ashdod 15/1/08

 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

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

 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
moons on P7 – P5

Heuglin’s Gull - Larus heuglini, Eilat 1/3/08

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)
Heuglin’s Gull – Larus heuglini 2nd winter, possibly male
Ashdod seashore 2/1/10
Heuglin's Gull
Larus heuglini
1st winter
Ashdod 6/1/10
Heuglin's Gull – Larus heuglini 1st winter, Ashdod 8/1/10
 Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus
Main ID features at rest Main ID features of adult in flight

Bill – long and straight, rather thin
Gonys – small to unnoticeable
Legs – very short and moderately thin
Wing – very typical, the easiest
underwing of all large gulls of
Israel (see slide 57) – totally dark
secondaries

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.
 Black back

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus, Ashdod 19/9/09

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus, Ashdod 19/9/09
 Easily identified in
flight - all underwing
remiges black

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus, Ashdod 9/1/08

 Very dark body,
wings and mantle

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus 1st winter, Ashdod 27/2/09

 Very dark head,
body, wings and mantle

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus 1st winter Ashdod 2/10/09

 Very dark body, underwing coverts
and primaries

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus 1st winter, Ashdod 24/9/09

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

Baltic Gull – Larus fuscus fuscus, advanced 2nd winter,
Ashdod 27/2/09
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
Eye – as in fuscus rest of wing
Size – as in fuscus

Mantle Color – variation between dark

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 colours.

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.
► 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
 Dark grey mantle,
Not coal black
like fuscus

Lesser Black-backed Gull ssp. (possibly inermedius) Ashdod 30/10/09

Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus ssp
Ashdod, 27/2/10
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
Lesser Black backed Gull – Larus fuscus intermedius, Stavanger, 2/11/02,
Westkapelle, the Netherlands, Image by Theo Muusse ©
 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

gonys – as in fuscus Upperwing with contrast

between primaries (P10-P5) and
Legs – as in fuscus rest of wing

Eye – as in fuscus

Size – as in fuscus

Mantle and head color – varies from dark

heuglini up to paler michahellis. In winter
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!
 Lesser Black-backed Gull – Larus fuscus graellsii
intergraded with ‘Dutch’ intermedius (right), and L. f. fuscus (left).
Westkapelle, the Netherlands, 01/10/2009, image by Theo Muusse ©
 Heavily streaked head
with white face

Lesser Black-backed Gull – Larus fuscus graellsii,

22/10/01, Westkapelle, the Netherlands, image by Theo Muusse ©
 Lesser Black backed Gull - Larus fuscus graellsii adult female ringed in the
UK, 3/4/03 Nachtegalenkeet, Maasvlakte, the Netherlands by Theo Muusse ©
 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
 Massive head and
bill Dark back almost as
fuscus

Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus, Acre port 10/3/09

 P10 – tip all white
P9 - tip all - almost all white

Great Black-backed Gull - Larus marinus, Acre port 10/3/09

 Pink legs

Broad white
Trailing edge

Great Black backed Gull - Larus marinus, Acre Port 10/3/09

fuscus-like
P10/9 – tip all
white Great Black-backed
underwing but
broader trailing Gull Larus marinus
edge

Acre port 1/1/10

 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,
shows rather limited variation
Bill – long, orange with black ring and white
tip, swollen towards tip
Gonys – no special characters
Wing – P10 to P5 tips with very little
black and massive white mirrors and
tongues
Extensive white primaries from third
winter make it easy to identify at any
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
Pallas’s Gull - Larus ichthyaetus, Ashdod 15/1/08
Pallas’s Gull - Larus ichthyaetus, Ashdod 16/2/08
Pallas’s Gull - Larus ichthyaetus, Ashdod 9/1/08
Pallas’s Gull - Larus ichthyaetus, Ashdod 9/1/08
Some images of unidentified
gulls

These images emphasize the huge

variation seen in the field

Not every gull can or should

be identified
Larus sp. Ashdod 16/11/09
Larus sp. possibly heuglini – Eilat 1/3/08
 Gull-watching in Israel

Ehud Dovrat, March 2009

Ehud is the pioneer of gulls color rings tracking and of gull identification in Israel
 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
Caspian gulls – Larus cachinnans flock in an afternoon pre-roost
gathering, part of a 5000 birds flock , Acre Valley 22/1/10
Pallas's Gulls - Larus ichthyaetus, Israel highest record number (1300+)
Sde Eliyahu, Bet She’an Valley 21/2/08
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?
Mixed gulls, Ashdod: heuglini, fuscus, cachinnans, armenicus
Ashdod 20/1/10 Yoav Perlman ©
 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
 Reading color rings in Israel
• In late1990’s 10 Russian / Ukraine cachinnans rings read at Shifdan (former Dan
sewage farm). 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
 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

 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
 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.
Enjoy gulling!