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Italian to English translations [PRO] Science - Zoology / birds | | Italian term or phrase: gabbiano reale | | my original text gives a latin name of Larus cachinnans Pallas, 1811 for "gabbiano reale". I've tried to look it up and I've found both "Caspian gull" and "yellow-legged gull". Which one is correct? The gulls in question live in Sardinia, Italy if that helps. thank you. |
| nyteckKudoZ activityQuestions: 157 ( 7 open) ( 2 without valid answers) ( 8 closed without grading) Answers: 31 Italy
| | Local time: 21:21
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| | Yellow-legged Gull | Explanation: Caspian Gull, which (as the name suggests) breeds on the Asian steppes, was once regarded as a form of Herring Gull (a name now used only for northern Europe's commonest "Gabbiano reale"), as was the Mediterranean's form, the Yellow-legged Gull. They were "split" into separate species in the early 1990s I believe, though this remains a controversial point among ornithologists.
Despite all my experience I find it quite challenging to tell them apart, which probably explains succinctly why they were once regarded as a single species.
The Yellow-legged Gull is the Mediterranean's most common breeding gull, and can be found almost anywhere near the coast and around landfill sites (yuk).
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The Caspian Gull can be seen occasionally in winter in the Mediterranean, especially along the coasts of Apulia and Sicily, most of them being inexperienced juveniles which have for some reason dispersed beyond the species' usual range. It has never bred in Italy
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 18 hrs (2008-08-28 06:31:35 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
Andrea Corso is probably the foremost Italian ornithologist, and in your link at http://www.ebnitalia.it/qB/QB001/gabbiano_ca.htm he writes "Uno degli esempi più emblematici è costituito dal Gabbiano reale del Caspio (L. (c.) cachinnans) le cui osservazioni si sono susseguite in maniera vertiginosa, arrivando a dimostrare come da rarissimo accidentale, quale era ritenuto sino a uno o due anni fa, debba invece essere considerato come un migratore regolare; difatti così è già avvenuto per la Germania, la Francia, la Gran Bretagna, l'Olanda ecc. " I count myself fortunate to have spent many hours in his company on bird surveys etc. I think the major problem here is probably Nyteck's source text, which is rather ambiguous, but rest assured that the Caspian Gull is not a breeding bird in Sardinia, whereas the Yellow-legged is extremely common. That said, however, if the text is actually referring to rare migrants rather than common breeders (can Nyteck provide more context?) then my interpretation is wrong |
| Selected response from:
 Anthony Green Local time: 21:21
| Grading comment I want to thank everyone who helped out with this gull controversy! If I understand correctly, "yellow-legged gull" covers more bases so to speak (there's more than one type)... so it seems like the safest choice. I'm leaving the caspian gull behind!
GRAZIE A TUTTI 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer |
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7 mins confidence:   Caspian gull
Explanation: Il Gabbiano del Caspio (o Gabbiano pontico) (Larus cachinnans, Pallas, 1811) è un gabbiano molto simile al gabbiano reale zampegialle.
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larus_cachinnans
Il gabbiano reale zampegialle (o gabbiano reale mediterraneo) (Larus michahellis, Naumann 1840) è un uccello caradriiforme appartenente alla famiglia dei Laridi. Si può confondere con il gabbiano reale nordico (Larus argentatus) con il quale convive in alcune zone riproduttive e con il gabbiano del Caspio (Larus cachinnans).Il gabbiano zampe gialle tuttavia è caratterizzato da una livrea chiara e risulta più leggero del gabbiano reale nordico.
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larus_michahellis
They are both gabbiani reali, but Larus cachinnans is caspian gull
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http://www.istitutoveneto.it/venezia/divulgazione/valli/?id=...
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@ Wendell, have a look at the link above
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Many websites report the presence of the Larus cachinnans (translated simply with gabbiano reale) in Sardinia. I'm sure that the Larus cachinnans is the Caspian Gull, while the Larus michahellis is the yellow-legged Gull (a Mediterranean species). The question is: are these references wrong, as they mistake the Larus cachinnans for the Larus michahellis or can you find the Larus cachinnans in Sardinia, too?
http://www.zente.it/Natura/uccelli_sardegna.html
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Anthony, please resolve my doubt
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 3 ore (2008-08-27 15:42:09 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
http://www.ebnitalia.it/qB/QB001/gabbiano_ca.htm
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http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/article.asp?a=228
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