One of the gulls seen at Chouet Landfill yesterday was a metal ringed bird - Jersey E5506. I ringed this gull as a chick in Herm, Guernsey on 22 June 1993, so this bird has now entered its 22nd year! According to the British Trust for Ornithology Longevity Records the oldest GBBG on record is a bird ringed in Orkney, Scotland in July 1983, and found predated there in July 2008 - making the bird 24 years, 11 months and 25 days old. E5506 isn't quite there yet...but I hope it can survive a few more years' yet!
GBBG E5506 at Chouet Landfill (c) PKV |
Bonjour Paul ;-)
ReplyDeleteUn oiseau bagué en Norvège et observé à Boulogne-sur-mer,Pas-de-Calais,France.
24 ans et 4 mois.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wwwflickrcom-photos-la-mouette/8138602506/in/set-72157611798333815
It's amazing that some of these gulls reach such an age...nearly a quarter of a century!
ReplyDeleteI do hope it lives long enough to break the record, as that would be a fitting tribute to your long-term commitment to the study of gulls.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks Carl! I've studied a few bird species over the years...but it's strange how gulls always pull you back to them! I guess I'm very lucky to live in a place where I see and hear them every single day...but then of course with gulls many many people can experience them every day!
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