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The laughing gull ( Leucophaeus atricilla) is a medium-sized gull of North America and South America. Named for its laugh-like call, it is an opportunistic omnivore and scavenger. It breeds in large colonies mostly along the Atlantic Ocean coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. The two subspecies are L. a. megalopterus — which can be seen from southeast Canada down to Central America — and L. a. atricilla, which appears from the West Indies to the islands. The laughing gull was long placed in the genus Larus until its present placement in Leucophaeus.
Like most other members of the genus Leucophaeus, the laughing gull was long placed in the genus Larus. It was moved to the resurrected genus Leucophaeus based on a 2005 molecular phylogenetic study that found that inclusion in Larus made that genus paraphyletic.
Two subspecies are recognised. They are listed below with their breeding ranges.
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 by the wing pattern and structure.
==Gallery==
islands off west North Atlantic coast of southeast Canada (sporadic or formerly), Maine to Florida, Gulf of Mexico to south Texas, Salton Sea (southeast California; formerly), Gulf of California to Colima West Indies, islands off Yucatán Peninsula, islands north of Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago and to French Guiana
Description
This species is long with a wingspan and a weight range of . 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 beak is long and red. The black hood is mostly lost in winter.
Distribution and habitat
It breeds on the Atlantic Ocean coast of North America, the Caribbean, and northern South America. Northernmost populations bird migration farther south in winter, and this species occurs as a rare vagrant to western Europe. The laughing gull's English name is derived from its raucous kee-agh call, which sounds like a high-pitched laugh "ha... ha... ha...".
Behaviour
Breeding
Laughing gulls nest from mid to late May in the north of their range and from late April in the south. They nest in colonies which vary in size from a few pairs to 25,000. The nest site is usually on low lying coastal islands. The nest is built by both sexes from available vegetation. The clutch is usually three eggs which are incubated by both parents for 22-27 days. The chicks normally remain near to the nest for the first 5 days. They are fed and brooded by both parents. The young can fly when they are around 40 days old.
External links
Categories: Laughing Gull, Native Birds Of The Northeastern United States, Native Birds Of The Eastern United States, Native Birds Of The Southeastern United States, Birds Of Central America, Birds Of The Caribbean, Birds Of The Dominican Republic, Birds Of Venezuela, Taxobox Binomials Not Recognized By Iucn, Birds Of The United States, Least Concern Biota Of The United States
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