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The influence of age and sex on wing‐tip pattern in adult Black‐headed Gulls Larus ridibundus
Author(s) -
ALLAINE DOMINIQUE,
LEBRETON JEANDOMINIQUE
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
ibis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.933
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1474-919X
pISSN - 0019-1019
DOI - 10.1111/j.1474-919x.1990.tb00279.x
Subject(s) - wing , morphometrics , biology , zoology , age groups , demography , sociology , engineering , aerospace engineering
A discriminant equation based on bill‐depth and total head‐ and bill‐length is provided to sex adult Black‐headed Gulls Larus ridibundus . This equation is used to sex birds of known age. Relationships between age and morphometrics and between age and the black extent on the wing are then investigated both in males and females. Size of birds did not change with age but the black extent on the wing tended to decrease with age in both sexes. The tendency to become lighter with age may he an expression of senescence.