Well-travelled LBBG

This Lesser Black-backed Gull (just to the left of the Audouin's Gull) was ringed in Gloucester on 13th March 2004.



Since then it has been seen in Agadir, Morocco in November 2005 and January 2007.

It was then seen back in Gloucester in March 2007 before I found it on the beach at Oued Massa, Morocco on 9th January 2009.



Brilliant!

I thought that the Lesser Black-backed Gulls in Morocco were going to be intermedius but perhaps the strong light makes them look darker than they do in the UK - are these birds (which all looked to have similarly dark backs to me - up to 1100 of them!) actually graellsii?

Through e-mail correspondance with the ringing group I have learned that this was probably not one of the darkest birds they have rung in Gloucester. But they do ring numerous intermedius gulls which vary from dark grey to nearly black in mantle colour.