A putative Common Gull hybrid?
On 25.2.2011 while looking for PVC ringed gulls at Riera de Maspujols beach, N Cambrils, Tarragona, Catalunya, I saw what looked as an odd 1w Common Gull ( L.canus ). If I had not seen an hour before another L.canus at Sèquia de Vila-Seca area, Tarragona, perhaps I had thought this bird might have been just an odd one compared with the average Common gull. But I realised there wass something reminding me both Black-headed Gull ( L.ridibundus ) and Mediterranean Gull ( L.melanocephalus ) too. Despite size was larger than those of nearby ridibundus or melanocephalus , therefore OK for canus , the structure was not so compact as in canus should be. The head, besides, was clearly incorrect for the average canus , with a look clearly recalling the smaller gulls nearby. A number of shots, including one of the Vila-Seca 'pure' canus for comparison purposes are included below. So far, the option L.canus x melanocephalus is perhaps the most suitable, with the 'odd' Larus ...