South-west France (michahellis - Mediterranean Yellow-legged Gull)

These meet the criteria for Mediterranean Yellow-legged Gull of Garner & Quinn (1997). It is generally accepted that this population recently moved north from the Mediterranean to colonise the area (Yésou, 1991). An interesting feature of this form is its long calls which are deep and guttural resembling Great Black-backed Gull L. marinus to some extent, as also reported by Vinnicombe (1995), Cramp (1983, p.829) and Dwight (1925, p.207). The mew calls are also deeper than those of graellsii. In mid-August (11th) the moult was slightly behind that in the central Canaries with typically P6 growing and P7 missing. These, and more obviously the Herring Gulls described below, are not considered to be Atlantic Yellow-legged Gulls.