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Laughing Gull

Larus atricilla ORDER: CHARADRIIFORMES FAMILY: LARIDAE

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

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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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Field MarksHelp

  • Breeding adult
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    Laughing Gull

    Breeding adult
    • Slender, long-winged gull
    • Black hood with white crescents above and below eye
    • Reddish bill droops at tip
    • Slaty gray back and wings
    • © Ian Davies, Plymouth, Massachusetts, July 2011
  • Breeding adult
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    Laughing Gull

    Breeding adult
    • Slender and long-winged
    • Black hood contrasts with snowy white underparts
    • Slaty gray wings with black tips and a thin white trailing edge
    • Long reddish bill droops slightly at tip
    • © Ian Davies, Plymouth, Massachusetts, July 2011
  • Breeding adult
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    Laughing Gull

    Breeding adult
    • Slender, medium-sized hooded gull
    • Long reddish bill
    • Black wing tips, slaty gray back and wings
    • White eye arcs contrats with black hood
    • © Ian Davies, Plymouth, Massachusetts, May 2010
  • Nonbreeding adult
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    Laughing Gull

    Nonbreeding adult
    • Medium-sized slender and long-winged gull
    • Mostly white head with dark gray streaking behind crown
    • Slaty gray above with snowy white underparts
    • Long black bill with slight reddish tinge, long black legs
    • © Tim Lenz, Provincetown, Massachusetts, November 2008
  • Nonbreeding adult
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    Laughing Gull

    Nonbreeding adult
    • Long-winged and slender gull
    • Long, drooping bill mostly black with dark reddish tinge
    • Head mostly white with dark gray streaking on crown and back of head
    • Slaty gray back and wings with black wing-tips
    • © osprey41, Redington Beach, Florida, January 2009
  • Juvenile
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    Laughing Gull

    Juvenile
    • Slender body and long wings
    • Long black bill
    • Dusky brownish gray nape, back and wings
    • Black wing-tips
    • © bird_dog57, Daytona Beach, Florida, September 2008
  • Juveniles
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    Laughing Gull

    Juveniles
    • Long, slender wings
    • Long black bill droops slightly at tip
    • Wings scalloped dusky gray-brown, black wing-tips
    • Dusky gray/tan on crown and neck
    • © Gary Tyson, Brigantine/Forsythe NWR, New Jersey, September 2010
  • Juvenile
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    Laughing Gull

    Juvenile
    • Slender and long-winged with long, black bill
    • Dusky gray-brown on crown, neck, and body
    • Gray feathers appear on back and shoulders later in the fall
    • Long black legs
    • © Gary Tyson, Cape May, New Jersey, September 2010
  • First winter
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    Laughing Gull

    First winter
    • Slender-bodied and long-winged gull
    • Long, drooping black bill
    • Bold white eye-arcs, grayish brown on cheeks and nape
    • Slaty-gray back, tan-gray wings with black tips
    • © Laurie Brice, Sebastian Inlet, Florida, November 2008
  • First summer
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    Laughing Gull

    First summer
    • Slender and long-winged
    • Black hood more patchy than adult
    • Long blackish bill with drooping tip
    • Long, slaty gray wings with black tips
    • © Bob Baker, Chincoteague, Virginia, July 2007
  • Breeding adults
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    Laughing Gull

    Breeding adults
    • Slender-bodied and long-winged gull
    • Long reddish bill droops at tip
    • Black hood with thin white eye arcs
    • Slaty gray back
    • © Joan Gellatly, Palm Harbor, Florida, June 2010

Similar Species

  • Breeding adult
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    Franklin's Gull

    Breeding adult
    • Smaller and more delicate than Laughing Gull
    • Smaller, thinner bright red bill
    • Paler gray back and wings
    • Black wing tips dotted with bright white spots
    • © Ron Kube, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, June 2009
  • Breeding adults
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    Franklin's Gull

    Breeding adults
    • More delicate than Laughing Gull with smaller bill
    • Extensive white on black wing-tips
    • Paler gray on back and wings
    • © Ron Kube, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, July 2009
  • Nonbreeding Adult
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    Franklin's Gull

    Nonbreeding Adult
    • Smaller than Laughing Gull
    • More slender bill
    • Hood more extensive than on nonbreeding adult Laughing
    • White spots visible on wing-tips
    • © Ian Davies, Lima, Peru, February 2010
  • Juvenile
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    Franklin's Gull

    Juvenile
    • Smaller and more slender-billed than Laughing Gull
    • Darker hood than on juvenile Laughing Gull
    • Cleaner white breast with faint tan/buffy wash on sides of neck
    • © Ron Kube, Blackie, Alberta, Canada, August 2009
  • Breeding adult
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    Bonaparte's Gull

    Breeding adult
    • Much smaller and daintier than Laughing Gull
    • Delicate, thin black bill
    • Bubblegum pink legs
    • Very thin white eye ring
    • © maia_bird, Sachuest Point NWR, Rhode Island, August 2009
  • Nonbreeding adult
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    Bonaparte's Gull

    Nonbreeding adult
    • Small and delicate gull
    • Slender, pointed black bill
    • Mostly white head with small dark spot behind eye
    • Bright pink legs
    • © Will Sweet, Drake's Island, Maine, August 2010
  • First winter
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    Bonaparte's Gull

    First winter
    • Small, tern-like gull
    • First winter birds show distinctive "M"-shaped pattern on wings in flight
    • Slender, pointed black bill
    • Mostly white head with dark smudge behind eye
    • © Christine Fusco, Conowingo Dam, Maryland, November 2011
  • Juvenile
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    Bonaparte's Gull

    Juvenile
    • Small and dainty gull
    • Rounded head and straight, slender bill
    • Dusky brownish above, white below
    • © Robinsegg, Antelope Island, Utah, November 2007
  • Juvenile
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    Ring-billed Gull

    Juvenile
    • Similar to juvenile Laughing Gull, but slightly larger
    • Compact and stocky
    • Short and stubby pink bill with black tip
    • Pink legs
    • © BlackRose, Tappen Beach, Glenwood Landing, New York, August 2009
  • Nonbreeding adult
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    Lesser Black-backed Gull

    Nonbreeding adult
    • Larger and more heavy-bodied than Laughing Gull
    • Stout yellow bill with red spot at tip
    • Glowing yellow eye and yellow legs
    • Mostly white head with faint gray streaks
    • © Ian Davies, Plymouth, Massachusetts, November 2011

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.

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