Christopher Taylor Bird Nature Wildlife Mammal Photography
nature photography
GALLERIES > BIRDS > CHARADRIIFORMES > LARIDAE > LAUGHING GULL [Leucophaeus atricilla]


Laughing Gull Picture @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: New Orleans, LA
GPS: 30.0N, -90.1W, elev=11' MAP
Date: April 27, 2009
ID : 2131 [3888 x 2592]

Laughing Gull Image @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: New Orleans, LA
GPS: 30.0N, -90.1W, elev=11' MAP
Date: April 27, 2009
ID : 2158 [3888 x 2592]

bird photography

Laughing Gull Image @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: Anahuac Wildlife Refuge, TX
GPS: 29.5N, -94.5W, elev=3' MAP
Date: August 28, 2009
ID : 7C2V2347 [3888 x 2592]

Laughing Gull Image @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: Galveston, TX
GPS: 29.3N, -94.8W, elev=8' MAP
Date: August 29, 2009
ID : 7C2V2571 [3888 x 2592]

nature photography

Laughing Gull (juvenile)
 
 
Location: Bryan Beach, TX
GPS: 28.9N, -95.4W, elev=0' MAP
Date: August 30, 2009
ID : 7C2V3449 [3888 x 2592]

Laughing Gull (juvenile)
 
 
Location: Anahuac Wildlife Refuge, TX
GPS: 29.5N, -94.5W, elev=3' MAP
Date: August 28, 2009
ID : 7C2V2262 [3888 x 2592]

bird photography

Laughing Gull Image @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: New Orleans, LA
GPS: 30.0N, -90.1W, elev=11' MAP
Date: April 27, 2009
ID : 2152 [3888 x 2592]

Laughing Gull Picture @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: New Orleans, LA
GPS: 30.0N, -90.1W, elev=11' MAP
Date: April 27, 2009
ID : 2138 [3888 x 2592]

bird photography

Laughing Gull Photo @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: Port Aransas, TX
GPS: 27.8N, -97.1W, elev=8' MAP
Date: February 1, 2009
ID : 7C2V4390 [3888 x 2592]

Laughing Gull Image @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: Goose Island State Park, TX
GPS: 28.1N, -96.9W, elev=-1' MAP
Date: February 1, 2009
ID : 7C2V4446 [3888 x 2592]

bird photography

Laughing Gull Picture @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: Port Aransas, TX
GPS: 27.8N, -97.1W, elev=8' MAP
Date: February 1, 2009
ID : 7C2V4388 [3888 x 2592]

Laughing Gull Picture @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: Goose Island State Park, TX
GPS: 28.1N, -96.9W, elev=-1' MAP
Date: February 1, 2009
ID : 7C2V4318 [3888 x 2592]

nature photography

Laughing Gull Picture @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: Rockport, TX
GPS: 28.0N, -97.0W, elev=0' MAP
Date: February 1, 2009
ID : 7C2V4369 [3888 x 2592]

Laughing Gull Image @ Kiwifoto.com
 
 
Location: Jekyll Island, GA
GPS: 31.1N, -81.4W, elev=7' MAP
Date: February 10, 2008
ID : 3728 [3888 x 2592]

bird photography

SPECIES INFO

The Laughing Gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, is a medium-sized gull of North and South America. It breeds on the Atlantic coast of North America, the Caribbean, southern California, USA, and northern South America. Northernmost populations migrate further south in winter, and this species occurs as a rare vagrant to western Europe, although there was a large influx into North-west Europe in late October 2005 when there was a minimum of 18 (and anywhere up to a possibly maximum of 35) individuals on one day in the UK alone. The Laughing Gull's English name is derived from its raucous kee-agh call, which sounds like a high pitched laugh "ha... ha... ha...".

This species is easy to identify. It is 36-41 cm long with a 98-110 cm wingspan. The summer adult's body is white apart from the dark grey back and wings and black head. Its wings are much darker grey than all other gulls of similar size except the smaller Franklin's Gull, and they have black tips without the white crescent shown by Franklin's. The bill is long and red. The black hood is mostly lost in winter.

Laughing Gulls take three years to reach adult plumage. Immature birds are always darker than most similar sized gulls other than Franklin's. First year birds are greyer below and have paler heads than first year Franklin's, and second years can be distinguished on the wing pattern and structure.

Laughing Gulls breed in coastal marshes and ponds in large colonies. The large nest, made largely from grasses, is constructed on the ground. The 3 or 4 greenish eggs are incubated for about three weeks. These are omnivores like most Larus gulls, and they will scavenge as well as seeking suitable small prey.




nature photography
laughing_gull's Range Map Click here to see the Laughing Gull's range map!
Listen to the Laughing Gull Song:



HOME · ABOUT ME · GALLERY · STOCKLIST · VIDEO · SEARCH · PRESS · CONTACT · BLOG · NEW STUFF
nature photography
All images and video © Copyright 2006-2024 Christopher Taylor, Content and maps by their respective owner. All rights reserved.
nature photography