Note the very white head and long, shallow sloping forehead, which gives this bird a snouty appearance; the small black beady eye, the predominantly dark, long and slender tapering bill, with a rather weak gonydeal angle and slightly drooping bill tip, plus the long, pale greyish/pink legs.
Plate 2 (Andy Warr)
The pale grey second-generation feathers on the mantle and scapulars, contrast strongly with the darker retained juvenile wing coverts. The smaller scapulars are dark centred, while the large, outer scapular feathers show a narrow dark central shaft and a narrow subterminal band on the tips, creating an anchor pattern. The dark centred greater coverts are pale edged and tipped, with only a few innermost coverts showing pale marbling within the dark centres, whereas both Herring and Yellow-legged Gull show pale marbling on most, if not all the greater coverts. The dark tertials are quite broadly tipped white and the strong, dark tail band lacks any obvious pale tipping.
Plate 3 (Andy Warr)
Plate 4 (Andy Warr)
Note the pale breast, belly and flanks. Strong brown mottling is restricted to the neck and nape, with mottling far less prominent on the underparts. The gape line is particularly noticeable and considerably longer when compared with the adult Herring Gull behind.
Plate 5 (Andy Warr)
Plate 6 (Andy Warr)
The very pale underwing coverts are a feature typical of 1st winter Caspian Gull.
Note the white tail, with minimal dark flecking and the clean-cut dark tail band.
Plate 10 (Brian Stretch)
Plate 11 (Brian Stretch)
Amongst immature Herring Gulls, the Caspian Gull (2nd from right) immediately attracts attention with its obvious structural differences and whiter head and underparts.
