Descriptive update on gull taxonomy: ‘West Siberian Gull’

• Main Author: Valery A. Buzun
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2002
• Subjects: Lesser black-backed gull; Taimyr
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.689.3656; http://gull-research.org/papers/papers6/buzun_BB_1999.pdf

ABSTRACT Information on the appearance, behaviour and ecology of taxa within the evolutionarily young ‘large white-headed gull ’ complex (taxa currently grouped by three species, Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus, Herring Gull L. argentatus and Yellow-legged Gull L. cachinnans) is of interest to those ornithologists who study their identification, systematics and speciation. A sharp discrepancy has arisen between the demand for information about some of these taxa and the lack of elementary primary data.The delay in gathering data is due to the inaccessibility of the breeding grounds of some forms and to difficulties with systematic methodologies within the group.There is a critical lack of information about three forms in particular: ‘West Siberian Gull ’ L. heuglini antelius, ‘Taimyr Gull ’ L. h. heuglini ( = ‘taimyrensis’) and ‘Baraba Gull ’ L. cachinnans barabensis. This paper presents data on the plumage, biometrics, sexual dimorphism and geographical variation of West Siberian Gull.The identification of the Stuttgart type-specimen of heuglini is reviewed. It is suggested that this