Species · GBIF taxon 5846430
Franklin's Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcanAlso known as Franklin-Gull, Prairie Dove, Franklin's Rosy Gull
Franklin's gulls are highly migratory, traveling from northern prairie marshes to the Pacific coast of South America each year. During the breeding season, adults display a striking black hood, prominent white eye-crescents, and a delicate pink wash on their white breasts. They frequently follow farm machinery in large, noisy flocks to feast on unearthed grubs and insects.
MigratoryInland GullInsectivorous
- diet
- Insects, earthworms, aquatic invertebrates, grubs, and small fish
- family
- Laridae
- threats
- Wetland drainage, agricultural pesticide use, and climate change affecting breeding marshes
- life Span
- 9 to 12 years
LC
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Nesting colonies are highly sensitive to human intrusion, which can cause parents to abandon nests or expose eggs to predators.
Maintain a distance of at least 100 meters from active nesting colonies and avoid entering breeding marshes.- Look behind tractors: Watch agricultural fields during spring plowing, where these gulls gather in large flocks to feast on unearthed grubs.
- Scan marsh edges: Search for floating nest platforms in extensive cattail or bulrush marshes during the summer breeding season.
- Listen for high-pitched calls: Identify them by their nasal, laughing cries, which are higher pitched than those of most other gulls.