"Heuglin's" Gull in Thailand

["Mike Carter" <>]

Hi Dave, it appears to me that the IOC distributions are given for the 
breeding grounds only and do not include the wintering distribution. If, for 
instance you look at Latham's Snipe, they are not listed as occurring in 
Australia, only Japan and nearby where they breed. The major wintering 
grounds for the heuglini race of Lesser Black-backed Gull extends from the 
eastern Mediterranean east to Japan. Robson in his Birds of SE Asia includes 
them as a full species with a status of rare to locally fairly common in 
parts of Thailand. This taxon has occurred just to our north on Wetar so is 
to be expected one day in Australia.
Did you really go to Thailand without a copy of Robson?

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