Herring Gull

White ring with a black 3 alpha-numeric code : “nxn” , where n = number and x= a letter.

note 1 : all birds are ringed in the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

note 2 : Annual Reports are available on the Guernsey Gulls web site (www.guernseygulls.co.uk) and also on the Guernsey Gulls Blogspot (www.guernseygulls.blogspot.com).

note 3 : 

Yellow legring with 4 alpha-numeric code (starting letters 'VC')

note 1: used code is: VC01-VC12.

Yellow ring with a black 4 alpha-numeric code (starting letter 'V').

note 1 : used code are : V000-VZZZ.

note 2 : rings could be used on L. fuscus !

note 3 :

Yellow ring with a black 3 or 4 alpha-numeric code (starting letter 'V).

note 1 : three alphanumeric code from 1987 till '90 and four alphanumeric code from 1990).

note 2: used code are : V001-V500 ; V501-V605 ; V606-V650 ; V651-V909 ; V910-V925 ; VA01-VA10 ; VE01-VE00 ; VH01-VN00 ; VP01-VZ00, V0AA-V9ZZ.

Yellow ring with a 2 alpha-numeric code code.

note 1 : rings are placed above the knee (on the tibia) for better observation results in the colony (high vegetation) and on rubbish-dumps. All other colours (with vertical placed codes) above the knee are also part of this project.

note 2 : In some series  used dots (1.A), colons (1:A) or single or double bars (1|A or 1||A). Those additional marks are part of the code

note 3 : In some series is an additional plain marker present at the other tibia, this marker is part of the combination.

note 4: Same codes can be used by other large gull species. If you have doubts about the species and/or code, please note the age and position of all the rings, including the metal ring.

note 5: used letters/numers are : A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, + and =. Only the letters I, O and Q are never used

note 6: In this project are also used a combination of two coloured rings with both one letter or number at each tibia.

note 7 : 

Yellow ring with a black 4 alpha-numeric (starting letter 'K')

note 1 : KJxx or KJxxx  (where x is number or letter).
note 2 : 300 birds ringed in Russian Karelia during 2001-2007, most without metal ring.

Yellow ring with a black 4 or 5 alpha-numeric code (starting letter 'C').

note 1 : few ring with code Cnn, the rest with code Cnnn or Cnnx and Cnxnn or Cnnxx (where n is a number and x a letter).
note 2 : 2900 rings were used during 1996-1998 and 900 rings with 5 character codes 2006-2007.

Yellow ring with a black code 4 alpha-numeric code (starting letter 'H') and metal ring (on other leg).

note 1 : xxx stands for numbers and letters.
note 2 : examples  are H99X, H123, HA67, HX43, H789, H23A.
note 3 : rings are to be read from bottom to top, most rings have a “checkpoint”.
note 4 : birds are ringed at Schleswig- Holstein.
note 6 : some rings are used at Lesser Blackbacked Gulls, see this species.

Yellow ring with a black 4 alpha-numeric with these used codes : 

* number / letter "L" / number / number.
* number / letter "L" / number / letter.
* number / letter "L" / letter / number.
* number / letter "L" / letter / letter.

OR

Yellow ring with a black 4 alpha-numeric: 
* letter "L" / number / number / number.
* letter "L" / number / number / letter.
* letter "L" / number / letter / number.
* letter "L" / letter / number / number.
* letter "L" / number / letter / letter.
* letter "L" / letter / letter / number.
* letter "L" / letter / number / letter.

note 1 : rings were used on chicks and adults both Herring and Caspian Gulls as well as on their hybrids.

note 2 : letter "B" is not used as last letter. 

note 3 : 

Yellow ring with a black 4 alpha code, starting letter “P”.

note 1 : used letters are A, B, C, D, E, H, K, L, N, P, S, T, U, V, X, Z.
P always as first letter.

note 2 : codes are used in C and E Europe (Poland, Ukraine, Russia) for L. argentatus, L. cachinnans, L. michahellis, L. fuscus heuglini (probably also L. [f./c.] barabensis) and hybrids. Russian and some Polish birds frequently are left unidentified during ringing, due to difficulties of assigning to species in mixed colonies.

note 3 : birds are ringed by a large team, coordinated by Grzegorz Neubauer, Ornithological Station, Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Nadwislańska 108, 80-680 Gdansk, Poland.