European Herring Gull (var omissus)

Description:

Variety of the European Herring Gull. The physical difference's being a slightly larger body size and pale yellow legs as opposed to the pink legs of the local population of L.a.argenteus found here. (See background on second image where a local herring gull is standing behind this spotting.) Otherwise very similar with light grey mantle, pale eye and yellow orbital ring.

Habitat:

Found on the west coast of Guernsey in the Channel Islands. In the company of a large flock of the local sub species of Herring Gull. Generally this race breeds in Northern Europe from the N. Baltic through Fenno-Scandia. Although ranges of the various races of Herring Gull do overlap it is unusual to record omissus in the Channel Islands in mid summer.

Notes:

Herring Gull taxonomy of current species, sub. species and races is perhaps one of the most challenging in systemic ornithology today. There is now considered to be only two sub species of European Herring Gull. Larus argentatus the nominate found in Northern Europe and Larus argentatus argenteus found in Western Europe which tend to be smaller birds. Several other varieties also occur including omissus that have small physical differences and localized ranges. Ref: Bird Life International.