Caspian Gull (Larus cachinnans), ad, 9.8.2009, Lakolk Strand, Rømø

This Caspian Gull has relative long pale greyish legs. Most often when seeing cachinnans the thinner legs with longer tibia compared to argentatus is quite distinctive (less so in some female-type cachinnans). On the yawning gull the bare part colour in the opened bill is spot on cachinnans being orangey-yellow at the base of the mandibles where the colour is typical blood red in michahellis and light pink in argentatus.

The small eye is relative dark with a classic green peppering in the iris – most easily seen when light hits the eye directly - and when seen at some distance due to the peppering and the smaller size it stood out at being rather dark in contrast to nearby argentatus. There is a thin red orbital ring seen at close range.

It has a good cachinnans jizz with a high push up breast, belly slightly dropped behind legs and long slim rear with the unmoulted p9 and p10 just adding to elongated impression given by this species. Additionally the upperpart are slightly darker than on nearby argentatus .

In the stretched wing the grey tongues on the outer primaries are obvious, on p5 there is a black band, on p10 the outer tip is all white and there is a small white mirror on p9. The white apical spots are all relative small due to wear adding to the all this classic cachinnans wing pattern.








Kaspisk Måge - Larus cachinnans - Caspian Gull