Laughing Gull
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, MA, Plymouth, July 2011
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, MA, Plymouth, July 2011
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, MA, Plymouth, May 2010
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, MA, Provincetown, November 2008
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, FL, Redington Beach, January 2009
Laughing Gull
Juvenile
- Slender body and long wings
- Long black bill
- Dusky brownish gray nape, back and wings
- Black wing-tips
- © bird_dog57, FL, Daytona Beach, September 2008
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, NJ, Brigantine/Forsythe NWR, September 2010
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, NJ, Cape May, September 2010
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, FL, Sebastian Inlet, November 2008
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, VA, Chincoteague, July 2007
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, FL, Palm Harbor, June 2010
Similar Species
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, AB, June 2009
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, AB, July 2009
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
- 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, AB, August 2009
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, RI, August 2009
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, ME, August 2010
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, MD, November 2011
Juvenile
- Small and dainty gull
- Rounded head and straight, slender bill
- Dusky brownish above, white below
- © Robinsegg, Antelope Island, UT, November 2007
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, NY, August 2009
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, MA, November 2011