Progression of an individual Yellow-legged Gull from 2W (3cy) to Adult (5cy)

A Yellow-legged Gull, then in 2W plumage (early in its third calendar year) took up residence in Kingsbury Water Park, Warks, in January 2010. It was still present in early 2011 (in its 5cy), by which time it had completed its third complete moult and had attained the appearance of an adult. The presence of a single Yellow-legged Gull over such an extended period provided a rare opportunity to monitor and photograph a known individual gull through its moult and plumage development. This progression is illustrated here via a series of images. Click the 'Next' buttons to follow through the images in chronological order.

© A. R. Dean

Image 1.   3cy (2W) in mid-January.

Note the clean, relatively dark grey mantle and scapulars creating a neat 'saddle'; the  relatively whitish ground-colour of the head and neck (especially the clean forehead); the suggestion of a dusky 'mask' around the eye, and the robust and generally dark bill with dull pink emerging at the base.