Species: Leucophaeus pipixcan
Franklin's Gull
Species
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
Classification
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Craniata
Class
Aves
Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Laridae
Genus
Leucophaeus
NatureServe
Classification
Other Global Common Names
Gaivota-do-Frankin - Gaviota de Franklin, Gaviota Chica - mouette de Franklin
Informal Taxonomy
Animals, Vertebrates - Birds - Other Birds
Formal Taxonomy
Animalia - Craniata - Aves - Charadriiformes - Laridae - Leucophaeus - (AOU, 2008).
Ecology and Life History
Migration
false - false - true - Casual migrant off both coasts of U.S. (National Geographic Society 1983). Migration in Costa Rica October-November (Pacific coast) and more abundantly April-early June (Stiles and Skutch 1989).
Non-migrant
false
Locally Migrant
false
Food Comments
Feeds primarily on insects. Catches insects while in flight; follows farmers' plows to feed on unearthed insects and their larvae; also eats aquatic insects and small fishes in small ponds and sloughs (Bent 1921).
Reproduction Comments
Breeding begins in early May or early June (Harrison 1978). Both sexes incubate 2-3 eggs for about 18-20 days. Semi-precocial young are tended by both adults. Nests in colonies, which may include up to 15,000-20,000 individuals (Terres 1980).
Length
37
Weight
280
Conservation Status
NatureServe Global Status Rank
G4G5
Global Status Last Reviewed
1997-02-05
Global Status Last Changed
1997-02-05
Other Status
LC - Least concern
Distribution
Conservation Status Map
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Global Range
BREEDS: Canadian Prairie Provinces south to east-central Oregon, southern Idaho, northwestern Utah, northwestern Wyoming, northeastern South Dakota, and northwestern Iowa. Nonbreeders occur in summer from east-central British Columbia and northeastern Manitoba south to northern New Mexico, southeastern Wyoming, Kansas, central Iowa, and Great Lakes. NORTHERN WINTER: primarily along Pacific coast of South America (less commonly north to Guatemala), south to southern Chile, casually along Gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana, and in Hawaii, rarely in southern California; accidental in Puerto Rico.