Portraits

  • Black-headed Gull
    Chroicocephalus ridibundus

    Black-headed Gull / Adult / Pitsea / 07 Mar 2009 © C W Dee

  • Mediterranean Gull
    Larus melanocephalus

    Mediterranean Gull / 3rd winter / Pitsea / 10 Jan 2009 © P Roper

  • Great Black-backed Gull
    Larus marinus

    Great Black-backed Gull / 2nd winter / Pitsea / 11 Oct 2008 © B Williams

  • Common Gull
    Larus canus

    Common Gull / adult / Pitsea / 10 Jan 2009 © P Roper

  • Lesser Black-backed Gull
    Larus fuscus

    Lesser Black-backed Gull / Adult / Pitsea / 07 Mar 2009 © P Roper

  • Herring Gull
    Larus argentatus

    Herring Gull / 1st winter / Pitsea / 24 Jan 2009 © C W Dee

  • Yellow-legged Gull
    Larus michahellis

    Yellow-legged Gull / 2nd winter / Rainham / 12 Sep 2009 © B Williams

  • Caspian Gull
    Larus cachinnans

    Caspian Gull / 1st winter / Rainham / 10 Nov 2007 © P Roper

  • Kumlien's Gull
    Larus kumlieni

    Kumlien's Gull / 2nd winter / Pitsea / 24 Mar 2012 © R Bonser

Gallery

Here are photographs of some of the birds we have caught. They have been taken with different equipment in differing light conditions, so care should be taken in attempting to compare plumage colours. Some images have been edited to remove distracting objects from the rubbish tip in the background, but the birds themselves have not been altered. More photos will be added over time.

Click on the photos in the portrait section to see a gallery of that species.

Click on the links in the ageing guide section to see comparison photos of birds of different ages.

Click on the links in the resightings section to see some of out colour-ringed birds resighted elsewhere.

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Ageing guides

Large gulls are surprisingly variable in plumage, and one of our study aims is to gain a greater understanding of how these variations relate to age and race. Here are reference photos to illustrate the plumage and bare part characteristics that we are using to age the birds we catch.

Herring Gull Larus argentatus

Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus


Resightings

As a result of our colour ringing programme, many of the birds we have ringed are now being resighted elsewhere. Several birders have been able to provide photographs of our birds when the rings have been read in the field elsewhere. Most are colour-ring readings, but some birds have had their metal rings read. Members of the North Thames Gull Group group have photographed colour-ringed birds from other schemes, at our sites.

Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus

Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus

Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis

Herring Gull Larus argentatus

Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus