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
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Grasshoppers
- Earthworms
- Midges
Predators
- Raccoons
- Red foxes
- Mink
ThreatsWetland drainage, agricultural pesticide use, and climate change affecting breeding marshes
HabitatsPrairie marshes, agricultural fields, lakes, and coastal wintering bays
Life span9 to 12 years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyLaridae
- SpeciesLeucophaeus pipixcan
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Look for dense groups of gulls building floating nests in deep-water cattail or bulrush marshes.
- Support conservation
- Maintain a distance of at least 100 meters from active nesting colonies and avoid entering breeding marshes.
Responsible observation
- 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.
Competitor (c) Eric Schmidt, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Eric Schmidt · cc-by
Fellow Migrant 
Close Relative "Laughing Gull" by grongar is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
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