About the Franklin's Gull
Franklin's gull is a small gull. The genus name Leucophaeus is from Ancient Greek leukos, "white", and phaios, "dusky". The specific pipixcan is a Nahuatl name for a type of gull. The English common name was given to commemorate the arctic explorer Sir John Franklin, who led an expedition in 1825 on which the type was collected.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
It breeds in central provinces of Canada and adjacent states of the northern United States. It is a migratory bird, wintering in Argentina, the Caribbean, Chile, and Peru. The summer adult's body is white and its back and wings are much darker grey than all other gulls of similar size except the larger laughing gull. The wings have black tips with an adjacent white band. The bill and legs are red. The black hood of the breeding adult is mostly lost in winter. Young birds are similar to the adult but have less developed hoods and lack the white wing band.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Sweden, France, Brazil, Germany, New Zealand, Finland, Netherlands, Israel, Barbados, Bolivia, Paraguay, China, Mauritania, Seychelles, St. Barthélemy.
When to see it
Peak activity in May · a variable species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Grey GullLeucophaeus modestusThe sexes are similar in grey gulls.
Dolphin GullLeucophaeus scoresbiiThe dolphin gull, sometimes erroneously called the red-billed gull, is a gull native to southern Chile and Argentina, and the Falkland Islands.
Lava GullLeucophaeus fuliginosusThe lava gull is a distinctive gull, 51 to 55 cm (20–22 in) and weighs 380 g (13 oz).
Side by side: Franklin's Gull vs Laughing Gull
Learn the Franklin's Gull for real
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