birding-aus

Re: Vagrant Gull = Eastern Siberian Gull

To: "Robert Inglis" <>, "Birding-Aus" <>
Subject: Re: Vagrant Gull = Eastern Siberian Gull
From: "Mike Carter" <>
Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:36:32 +1100
Bob Inglis asked
Could someone please tell me which species (or sub-species) is being considered as the likely identity of the 'unusual' gull presently being stalked at Cooktown?

Nikolas Haass tried to answer your question Bob but not very simply, confusing all of us even more by introducing Baraba Gull into the debate, another one you and I have never heard of. You may though have heard of Steppe Gull another name for it. Mind you, until this gull appeared in Cooktown, I hadn't! The problem is Bob, there are some seriously misguided souls around (one I know has the initials TT and is a Queenslander like you) that laud and admire splitters, when you and I know they should be condemned! Pathetic isn't it? Being a birder is hard enough without their activities adding to our problems. My wife and I have just arrived home from braving the floods (we drove through water rushing across one bridge), and like numerous others I photographed the gull from all angles. Consequently I'm too eager for bed to deal thoroughly with this now but I am keen to know what to call this new tick. So briefly, this is how I see it. To date, it has been BARC's policy to use Sibley and Monroe as the Checklist for species new to Australia. Don't have that handy but if we were to use the slightly more modern Monroe & Sibley's (1993), A World Checklist, then the bird is simply the good old Herring Gull, Larus argentatus, albeit the sub-species 'vegae' called Vega Gull. It doesn't look anything like the European version though. If we follow or adopt a more modern checklist, such as Clements 6th edition (2007), then the bird is split off as the Eastern Siberian Gull, Larus vegae, which has two subspecies, this being probably the race mongolicus. The misguided among us consider this taxa a full species and call it a Mongolian Gull. The photo of a first winter bird of this taxa in Shimba's (2007) Photographic Guide to the Birds of Japan is a dead ringer for the Cooktown individual. There is just one problem; the tail pattern seems to better fit the nominate vegae! Both winter in SE China.
   And yes Laurie, BARC frequently consults overseas experts.

Mike Carter
30 Canadian Bay Road
Mount Eliza  VIC 3930
Tel  (03) 9787 7136

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