Unfortunately the so-called Herring Gull complex is not just a simple matter of
"splitting" as indicated by Mike's comment and it is not a "ringspecies" (as in
the late Ernst Mayr's hypothesis). There are species (yes species) involved
which are not at all closely related to Eurasian Herring Gull (e.g. American
Herring Gull). There are several interesting papers: Pons et al. 2005 (with
Pierre-Andre Crochet) and Liebers et al. 2004 (see below; with Peter de Knijff
and the late Andreas Helbig)
This might be of interest for birders interested in gulls:
http://www.sofnet.org/apps/file.asp?Path=2&ID=2900&File=Liebers+%26+Helbig+Proc+R+Soc+2004.pdf
Nikolas
----------------
Nikolas Haass
Sydney, NSW
----- Original Message ----
From: Mike Carter <>
To: Robert Inglis <>; Birding-Aus <>
Cc: Rohan Clarke <>; Danny Rogers
<>; Tony Palliser <>
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 11:36:32 PM
Subject: Re: Vagrant Gull = Eastern Siberian Gull
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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