Tertial spots in sub-adult and adult gulls

When determining the age of a gull, we use the presence or absence of dark markings at specific areas in the plumage and on the bill to distinguish sub-adults from adults.

One of these features is the presence of a dark spot on one or more tertials in sub-adults, typically gulls that are one cycle away from obtaining full adult plumage. The size of these tertial spots varies from small dots with faded edges to large, sharp-edged spots (sometimes referred to as ‘ink spots’).

Because the tertials are hidden in flight, they are best observed in resting birds.

14 February 2014. Lake County Fairground, Libertyville, Illinois, USA. 4th-calendar year type American Herring Gull with large tertial spots.

Although this feature is typical for sub-adults in certain species, it is sometimes seen in adults as well (meaning: an individual in full adult plumage without any sub-adult markings other than the dark tertial spots).

However, because we don’t see these features in adults of a known age and older than 3 years (small gulls) or 5 years (large gulls), we usually consider these to be young adults that are in their first year in which they have obtained their adult plumage.

Below follow some examples and exceptions in various species of gulls that I have observed over the last couple of years. As you can see, they are almost all of light-winged species. (One example exists though of an Atlantic Yellow-Legged Gull (see the link in the references at the end of this post), and some examples exist of Lesser Black-backed Gulls.)

(Update November 2018: Swedish Adult Lesser Black-backed Gull added)

American Herring Gull

When gull watching in the area around Chicago, USA, in February 2014, I was surprised to see how common the presence of dark tertial spots was in sub-adult American Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus.

14 February 2014. Lake County Fairground, Libertyville, Illinois, USA. Adult type American Herring Gull (but sub-adult cannot be ruled out without seeing a spread wing), with a large tertial spot.

14 February 2014. Lake County Fairground, Libertyville, Illinois, USA. Sub-adult type American Herring Gull (based on the amount of head streaking and black mark on the bill), with a small tertial spot on the right side only.

14 February 2014. Lake County Fairground, Libertyville, Illinois, USA. Sub-adult type American Herring Gull (based on the amount of head streaking and black mark on the bill), with a large tertial spot.

14 February 2014. Lake County Fairground, Libertyville, Illinois, USA. 4th-calendar year type American Herring Gull with large tertial spots.

16 February 2014, BP Whiting refinery, Indiana, USA. 4th-calendar year type American Herring Gull with large tertial spots.

18 February 2014. Lake County Fairground, Libertyville, Illinois, USA. 4th-calendar year type American Herring Gull with a large tertial spot.

18 February 2014. Lake County Fairground, Libertyville, Illinois, USA. 4th-calendar year type American Herring Gull with large tertial spots.

13 February 2014, BP Whiting refinery, Indiana, USA. 3rd-calendar year American Herring Gul with dark tertial spots.

European Herring Gull

Tertial spots are very rare in European Herring Gull Larus argentatus, and only sometimes occur in 4th-calendar year birds and hardly ever in adults.

Personally I have only came across a few examples.

Bird #1

I saw this individual on 27 April 2014 at the Maasvlakte, a large breeding colony near Rotterdam, the Netherlands:

The dark greater primary coverts are indicative for a 4th-calendar year individual, but the adult looking primaries point more towards a 5th-calendar year bird.

This also seems to apply to the wing coverts: browner on the underwing (4th-calendar year type) and only a slight hue on the upper wing (5th-calendar year type) .

Noteworthy as well are the small black markings on the outer web of P5 and especially P4, as well as the staggered and sharply angled shape of the tongue on the underside of P10.

The tail is completely white apart from a small black spot on the outer left feather, but this is not a good indication of age.

Bird #2

A fifth-calendar year, ringed as Green YBPS in the gull colony of IJmuiden (Forteiland), seen in June 2015 at the same location.

See also 5CY European Herring Gull Green YBPS with sub-adult features (incl. tertials).

Bird #3

Green B9, ringed as an adult female in the breeding colony of Europoort, near Rotterdam, the Netherlands in May 2015 and seen aged older than 5th calendar year in November 2016 at Katwijk aan Zee, the Netherlands:

It was not reported if this individual also showed this tertial spot in 2015, so it is assumed that it was not present.

Lesser Black-backed Gull

In my experience, examples of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls showing tertial spots are very rare.

Example #1, seen at Westkapelle, the Netherlands, September 2016.

Swedish ringed individual SVS 8074511 proves that this feature is certainly not restricted to young adults because at the time we observed it it was in its 26th calendar year.

Photo by Mars Muusse. More images can be seen on gull-research.org.

Example #2, seen in the gull colony of IJmuiden Forteiland, the Netherlands, April 2018.

The gull in question is Green YAKU, ringed as an adult in the colony in 2009, making it older than 13 calendar years in 2018.

I observed YAKU again in July 2018. By then, the greater coverts were very worn leaving much of the tertials exposed and making the spot(s) even more visible.

It is the first time that I have observed tertial spots in YAKU. During previous observations dating back to 2010 I never saw this characteristic in this bird. Interestingly, this means that it can suddenly occur in adults of a relatively old age as well.

Above: YAKU, October 2015, IJmuiden beach, the Netherlands.

Above: YAKU, Katwijk aan Zee beach, October 2013.

Ring-billed Gull and Common Gull

Tertial spots are a common feature in 3rd-calendar year Ring-billed Gulls Larus delawarensis and its European counterpart Common Gull Larus canus.

13 February 2014, BP Whiting refinery, Indiana, USA. Third-calendar year Ring-billed Gull with tertial spot.

17 February 2013, Utrecht, the Netherlands. Third-calendar year Common Gull with tertial spots.

13 February 2014, BP Whiting refinery, Indiana, USA. Third-calendar year Ring-billed Gull with tertial spots.

13 February 2014, BP Whiting refinery, Indiana, USA. Third-calendar year Ring-billed Gull with tertial spot.

25 February 2012, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Third-calendar year Common Gull with tertial spots.

Black-headed Gull

Tertial spots in Black-headed Gulls Chroicocephalus ridibundus are not uncommon but still pretty rare, especially in adults.

3 December 2010, Zoetermeer, the Netherlands. 2nd-calendar year Black-headed Gull with tertial spots. Out of the 266 Black-headed gulls caught and ringed that day, 2 individuals showed these types of markings.

March 2014, Zoetermeer, the Netherlands. A 3rd-calendar year type (left) and adult Black-headed Gull with tertial spots.

14 February 2015, Leiden, the Netherlands. Black-headed Gull, ringed 8 February 2015 in Leiden, the Netherlands as Arnhem 3.659.665 and aged as older than 3rd calendar year.

California Gull

Some examples of sub-adult California Gulls Larus californicus.

8 April 2013, Seaport Village, San Diego, California, USA. 4th-calendar year type California Gull with tertial spot.

16 April 2014, Seaport Village, San Diego, California, USA. 4th-calendar year type California Gull with tertial spots.

References

Identification of American Herring Gull in a western European context by Pat Lonergan & Killian Mullarney, Dutch Birding 26-1, 2004

Atlantic Islands Yellow-legged Gulls: an identification gallery by Philippe Dubois, BIRDING WORLD, Vol 14-7 (see plate 22)

If you are aware of examples in other species (especially European), I would love to see them.

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