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Laughing Gull

Larus atricilla ORDER: CHARADRIIFORMES FAMILY: LARIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Laughing Gull Photo

© O.S. Pettingill/CLO

A smallish gull with a black head, the Laughing Gull is abundant along the southern Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Infrequently found away from the ocean, it takes advantage of human habitat modifications, foraging in parking lots and dumps, and breeding on dredge spoil islands.

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Appearance

Gulls
Gulls
Typical Voice

Adult Description

  • Medium-sized gull.
  • Back slaty gray.
  • Underparts white.
  • Wingtips black, without extensive white markings.
  • Entire head black in breeding season.

Immature Description

Juvenile Dusky brown overall. Head gray brown, paler on forehead and chin. Black spot in front of eyes, white crescents above and below eyes. Back and wings dusky brown with broad paler tips, giving a scaly look.
First winter (Basic I) plumage: Back gray, but wings brown. Head pale with dusky gray markings behind eye, darker and more extensive than adult's. Nape gray. Breast, sides of neck, and sides of flanks dark gray. Tail white at base with broad blackish subterminal band.
First summer (Alternate I) plumage: Like first winter, but paler. May have some black spotting on head. Underparts more white. Reaches full adult plumage in third year.

Range Map Help

Laughing Gull Range Map
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Similar Species

  • Franklin's Gull is slightly smaller, with shorter wings and a smaller bill. Franklin's has a white band between the black primaries and the gray rest of wing, as well as white spots at the tips of the primaries. In winter plumage, Franklin's has a darker black and more extensive patch on the back of the head, resembling a half-hood rather than a smudge.