Bonaparte's Gull

The Bonaparte's Gull is a small gull.

The Bonaparte's Gull is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

The Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) is a small gull. Adults are 31–34 cm long with a 79–84 cm wingspan. They have a black hood and a short thin dark bill. The body is mainly white with pale grey back and upper wings. The underwing is pale and the wing tips are dark. They have orange legs. In winter, the head is white. In their first summer, the appearance of Bonaparte's Gull is similar to that in its first winter, but paler due to wear. More

The Bonaparte's Gull has a large range, covering an estimated 4,300,000 square kilometers. It is native to North and Central America, though it is now found in many parts of Europe. It prefers a habitat of boreal forest, inland wetlands, or neritic or coastal marine areas. The global population of the bird is estimated to be between 260,000 and 530,000 individuals. More

Bonaparte's Gull - Larus philadelphiaThe Bonaparte's Gull is the smallest gull found in the South Dakota. They are different than many other gulls in that they rarely visit garbage dumps. They are also unusual in that they nests in trees instead of on the ground. Bonaparte's Gulls are named after a distant cousin of Napoleon. Habitat: Usually near rivers and lakes during migration through the state. During the summer breeding season, they are found along lakeshores and riversides bordered by coniferous forest. More

The Bonaparte's Gull is not a typical "sea gull." One of only five black-headed gulls in North America, its light body, long wings, and buoyant flight make it look more like a tern. Unlike any other gull, the Bonaparte's Gull nests in pine trees near water, which ties it to the fate of our boreal forests. Foraging over coasts and the open ocean during winter, this small gull rarely visits garbage dumps, preferring plankton, insects, and fish. More

Bonaparte's Gull winters near people, but breeds in the isolated taiga and boreal forest. More

America, the Bonaparte's Gull is often described as delicate and tern-like in flight. This gull has narrow wings, a slender, black, pin-like bill, and pink legs. It has a light slate-gray back, with a black line down the trailing edge of the outer wing, and a white belly. The leading edges on the upper surfaces of the outer wing are white. In breeding plumage, the adult has a black head and an incomplete white eye-ring. Non-breeding adults lack the black hood. More

The Bonaparte's Gull is the smallest widely distributed gull in North America. Unlike many other gulls, Bonaparte's Gulls generally do not forage in landfills, though they do visit sewage ponds for the abundant insects. Vocalizations - The typical call is a rough "grrr." Similar Species - * Black-headed Gulls (rare in the U.S. More

Bonaparte's Gull with full hood on 10 December 2005 Niagara River at Fort Erie, Ontario Scroll down for 7 photos. Text by Ron Pittaway and Jean Iron. Figure 1. Bonaparte's Gull in definitive alternate plumage with full hood. The bright orange-red legs suggest advanced alternate plumage as most birds in definitive basic plumage had duller legs. See other feathers below which support an advanced prealternate molt rather than retained alternate plumage. More

Bonaparte's Gull is separated from all of them except the Black-headed Gull by its white wing tips, as shown in the photo below. The Black-headed Gull is slightly larger and has a dark red bill; Bonaparte's Gull has a black bill. Natural history: The first sighting of this Gull was on April 11th, 2003. A couple of flocks passed through on subsequent days, into May. More

Bonaparte's gull breeds in Alaska and Canada. It winters along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts and along the Great Lakes. Habitat bonapartes gullBonaparte's gull is found near lakes, rivers, marshes and bogs near coniferous forests during the breeding season. In the winter, it is found along lakes, rivers, marshes, bays, estuaries and shores. Diet bonapartes gullBonaparte's gull eats small fish, crustaceans, snails and marine worms. More

Bonaparte's Gulls breed throughout much of Canada and Alaska. They winter along both coasts of North America. This one, in drab winter plumage, was photographed at Padre Island National Seashore, Texas. Photo taken with a Nikkor 300mm ED f4.5 lens on Kodachrome 200. More

Bonaparte's Gulls are unusual among North American gulls because they typically build their nests in trees rather than on the ground. The breeding range of the Bonaparte's Gull extends across northern North America from western Alaska to the Hudson Bay. The species' breeding biology is poorly known. In the spruce and fir trees of the boreal forests, Bonaparte's Gulls build shallow nests of small sticks and twigs, lined with grasses and moss. More