Caspian Gull in Bergen

The 5th of January is with out doubt one of the highlights in our gull ringing career. We managed to ring a gull we think is a Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans). The possibility of a Caspian x Herring Gull hybrid have not been ruled out yet, but this will be very good bird here in Western Norway anyway. Our gull year started on the 4th of January when we ringed a 2 cy Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides) at Osøyro. Yesterday we searched our local spots for more white-winged gulls. We managed to find a new 2 cy Iceland Gull in a freshwater outlet in the fjord outside Bergen which was not interested in bread at all. However, back to the Caspian gull. When we threw bread to the around 150 Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus) in the city centre lake in Bergen a white headed gull draw our attention. Could it be a Caspian or was it just an odd looking Herring Gull. We took a few snapshots and decided to catch the bird to get in hand documentation, measurements and a blood sample. The bird was very hungry, so the catching was relatively easy. Well at home that evening we started to read the available Caspian Gull identification papers and contacting the gull experts we know. As the evening tuned to night we was quite convinced that the bird could be a Caspian Gull.

This bird is our second bird to be ringed in 2013, so if the experts agree for a Caspian Gull we have a really good start to the new year. Also if accepted as a Caspian Gull this will be the first ever ringed in Norway and also the second observation of this species in Hordaland county.

Second winter Caspian Gull JN879. Note the venetian-blind pattern visible on the inner primaries where the outer webs are dark contrasting with pale grey inner webs. This contrast is much less marked in Herring Gulls.

The almost totally white under wing is typical Caspian Gull. Axilliares are also unmarked on this bird which is another good CG character.

The tail pattern is a black narrow sharp defined tail band against a near white upper tail and rump.

White head is one of the best known CG characters

The CG before ringing. The venetian-blind pattern is even more visible on this picture so are the pale lozenges on the outer web of P3 and P2 on the right wing.

The comments from the national and international experts are so far promising. Chris Gibbins the author of two extensive identification papers on Caspian Gull think the bird looks like a Caspian Gull. The other comments can be seen at the gull-research forum.

We are greatful to Morten Helberg, Kjeld T. Pedersen, Alf Tore Mjøs, Frode Falkenberg, Chris Gibbins, Theo Muuse and Jan Jörgensen for comments and help with the identification of the bird.

The white winged invasion continues

The first two weeks of the new year here in Bergen have given us the greatest influx of White-winged gulls ever recorded. At this writing, 18 Iceland Gulls (Larus glaucoides) and 4 Glaucous Gulls (Larus hyperboreus) have been seen in the county of Hordaland in 2012. Further north in Norway the numbers are higher with over 24 Iceland Gulls in Uthaug harbour outside Trondheim on the 15th of January and 25 individuals on Smøla (a bit south of Trondheim) on the 16th of January. Of the 18 Iceland Gulls observed in our county, 8 are adults, 1 third winter, 5 second winter and only 4 first winter. In previous years, the first winter birds were clearly dominating. When the adult Iceland Gull was seen at the island of Fedje on January 8th, it was over ten years since the previous record. Strangely enough, this was at the exact same location at Mulevågen, Fedje.

Since the last blog post, two more white-winged beauties have been ringed in Bergen. First a second winter Iceland Gull was ringed in the city centre lake on the 12th of January. After a failed attempt on our lunch break, we managed to catch it on the second trial after work. This second winter is the first second-winter bird to be ringed in Norway and the 12th Iceland Gull in total to be ringed in Norway.

J8Y7 the 12th Iceland Gull to be ringed in Norway

On the 16th of January, the most eager twitcher in Bergen called and said that there were two Glaucous Gulls in the city centre park. In addition to JP370, which had been in park every day since ringing on the 3rd of January, a second winter Glaucous Gull was present. This new one was an easy catch and I think we only used minutes before we had it and could measure, ring and take blood samples. Measurements suggests that this new one is a female.

JP363 a nice second winter Glaucous Gull

JP370 is still present in the park, terrorising the Herring Gulls.

The adult Iceland Gull from the island of Fedje 8th of January. The first adult in over ten years in our county.

White winged New Year's Day

Happy new year to all! The new year started really good for Urban Ringing, Bergen with our second ringed Iceland Gull (Larus glaucoides). The bird was discovered by Frode Falkenberg on 30th of December at Osøyro 30 kilometres south of Bergen. There was two first winter Iceland Gulls at the site but only one of them was feeding on bread. On New Year's Eve we decided to make one of these Iceland Gulls our first ringed bird in 2012. A success would also make us the winner of the Iceland Gull bet we made the 27th of November. When we woke up the weather was really bad with heavy rain and we feared that the the catching would rain off. However in the afternoon we headed of to Osøyro when the rain seemed to stop for a moment. When we arrived we found the bird immediately and after one failed try we caught it.

Compared to the one we caught 27th of November this one was in better condition. It's body mass was 675 g and when handling the bird it felt like it had more fat because the breast bone was not particular sharp. In comparison the gull from the 27th had a body mass of only 520 g which is below the rage given in literature. Glutz von Blotzheim and Bauer (1982) give the range 620 to 735 g for first winter females. The sex is unknown for both individuals, but analysis of the blood samples will later give us an answer.

Iceland Gull J8Y5 performing long call minutes
before catching.

Wing of Iceland Gull J8Y5.

When Frode found the bird the 30th of December he noted some black spots above the eye and assumed this to be parasites. When the bird was ringed we could have a closer look and soon became quite sure that the spots was bird louse or Mallophaga. We sampled some and will take them under the stereo microscope and try to determine the species. It is interesting to see that the Ross' Gull (Rhodostethia rosea) in south western Sweden also have similar dark spots on exactly the same position above and behind the eye. When birds are infested with ecto parasites like Mallophaga they tend to be more visible in the head because this is one of the most difficult body parts to preen.

Head of Iceland Gull J8Y5. Note the black spots behind the eye. This is probably Mallophaga or bird louse which is parasites of birds.

We also found a new Iceland Gull. This second winter suddenly showed up when feeding out bread. This is the third Iceland Gull at this location in three days. We did not see the second first winter bird today.

2012 started perfect and 2011 ended with 72 gull readings on the 31st of December (most Herring and Mew Gulls) which is a new all time high for Bergen. A small ice cap on the lakes and sunny weather are the two most important reasons for this. The 31st was also the first day without rain since 7th of December and the rain have really been pouring down on the majority of these days.

Ringing summary for November 2011

In November we ringed a total of 62 gulls. Most Mew Gulls (33) but not far behind Herring Gulls (26). The highlight of the month was the 1Y Iceland Gull caught on the 27th. This Iceland Gull is the second to be equipped with a ring in Hordaland county. Another highlight was the Estonian Mew Gull controlled on the 22nd. This is the third Estonian Mew to be controlled in Norway.

Species	1Y	Sub adult	Adult
Mew Gull	25	3	5
Herring gull	20	3	3
Black-headed Gull	1	0	1
Iceland Gull	1	0	0
SUM	47	6	9

A map summarising all Estonian Mew Gulls found in Norway.
Black: Found dead in Kopervik south of Haugesund in February 1933
Red: Controlled in the city centre lake in Bergen January 1990
Blue: The one we controlled 22nd of November 2011.
All are ringed as pullus in Estonia and controlled in Norway their first winter.

Iceland Gull J8Y6 the 27th of October. Photo: Lars Ågren

Visit from Greenland

This weekend Urbpop Bergen got visit from Morten Helberg to make future plans for the urban gull project, take a look at collected data, plan the Morocco and Western Sahara expedition in February and of course ring and read gulls. The weather forecast for the weekend was extreme weather with heavy rain and strong winds from west reaching over 20 m/s. A really promising weather that could produce a gull rarity.


Saturday was used to catch Mews and Herrings. We also got our 9th Black-headed Gull of the year, a 1Y male. On Sunday the rarity appeared in the city centre park. We had only been 5 minutes at the site when Morten Helberg shouted YES and held a very white gull in his hands. We all run towards him and had a close look at a beautiful 1Y Iceland Gull! The strange thing is that yesterday we in Bergen made a bet with Morten on who would be the first to catch and ring an Iceland Gull. Five minutes before walking into the park we ensured that this bet still was on and decided that if we found an Iceland Gull today the bet would be a draw and the next one would be valid. So we have to keep our eyes open for a new white gull.

When the bird was ringed, measured, sampled for some blood and photographed we released it and started to catch Herring gulls. In just 10 minutes or so the Iceland Gull was back and could almost be hand-feed. This Iceland Gull is the third to get a colour ring in Norway, the first was ringed in Kristiansand 22nd of January 2004, and the second in Flekkerøy an island outside Kristiansand 22nd of November 2008. There are no readings of any Norwegian ringed Iceland gulls other than on the same ringing location the days after.

Spread wing of Iceland Gull J8Y6.

Morten Helberg, Christian Pederesen and the ringed Iceland Gull 10 minutes after it was ringed.

This picture was taken after we had given the Iceland Gull supper.