The Laughing Gull is a beautiful, unique species of seabird that can be found throughout North America and Central and South America. With its striking gray plumage, white underparts, and distinctive black hood in the summer months, the Laughing Gull is a sight to behold!
The Laughing Gull is a medium-sized bird that measures 11-14 inches in length. The bill is reddish in hue and the legs are black or reddish-black. During the summer months, adults have a crisp black hood with white arcs around their eyes. In winter, these birds have a blurry gray mask on their white heads.
These birds feed mainly on small fish, crustaceans, insects, earthworms, snails, and even refuse. In late spring they gather to eat eggs of horseshoe crabs as well as eggs and sometimes young of oter birds such as Royal Terns.
Laughing Gulls are known for being long-distance migrants; those that breed north of North Carolina usually migrate to Central or South America for the winter months. Birds in Florida may remain in their location year round.
These birds nest on land; however they have few predators due to their size and ability to fly away quickly if necessary. They may be taken by larger coastal sharks such as tiger sharks when they float on sea surfaces but this is rare due to their swift flight capabilities.
With its beautiful markings and unique behavior patterns, it’s no wonder why the Laughing Gull has been admired by birders for years! If you’re looking for an interesting species to observe this summer, look no further than this spectacular seabird!
Identifying Laughing Gulls
Laughing Gulls can be easily identified by their medium gray upperparts and white underparts. During the summer, they have a black hood, white arcs around the eyes, and a reddish bill. In winter, the hood becomes a blurry gray mask on a white head. The legs of Laughing Gulls are either reddish-black or black in color.
Source: wildsouthflorida.com
Predators of the Laughing Gull
The laughing gull is a small, coastal seabird found manly in North and South America. Although it does have some predators, they are few in number. The most common predators of the laughing gull are large, coastal sharks such as tiger sharks. These sharks feed on the gulls when they float on the surface of the sea. Aside from these predators, other large birds such as hawks and owls may also prey on the laughing gulls while they are nesting on land.
Common Food for Laughing Gulls
Laughing Gulls are opportunistic feeders and have a varied diet, which typically includes small fish, crustaceans, insects, earthworms, snails, and refuse. In late spring they often gather to eat the eggs of horseshoe crabs. They also take advantage of the eggs and sometimes young of oter birds such as Royal Terns.
Where Do Laughing Gulls Spend the Winter?
Laughing Gulls that breed north of North Carolina typically migrate in winter to Central America, northern South America, the southern Atlantic Coast, and the Gulf Coast. Some birds may remain in Florida year-round. These migratory journeys can span up to thousands of miles and last severl weeks. During these long-distance migrations, the gulls often travel in large flocks and navigate using both visual and magnetic cues.
The Lifespan of Laughing Seagulls
Laughing Gulls can live up to 22 years in the wild, though the average lifespan is typically around 10 years. Though they have been known to live longer, the oldest Laughing Gull ever recorded was 22 years old when it died in Maine in 2009. The bird had been banded there in 1987. This long lifespan is due largely to the bird’s protected status, which has allowed their population to increase steadily over the last century.
Source: birdguides.com
Do Seagulls Have the Ability to Change Their Color?
Yes, seagulls do change color. As seagulls mature, their feathers gradually transition from a mottled brown and smudged-looking appearance to a predominantly gray mantle with white heads and bodies. This transition can take up to four years for a gull to fully mature into its adult form. In addition, the color of a gull’s feathers will vary depending on the season, with darker and more muted colors appearng in winter months and brighter hues in the summer.
The Hovering Behavior of Laughing Gulls Over Bridges
Laughing gulls hover over bridges because of the heat generated by the pavement. This rising heat helps the birds conserve energy whle searching for food. Heat rises from the pavement and, by hovering, the birds can take advantage of that warm air to stay airborne without expending too much energy. Additionally, bridges are often located near rivers or other bodies of water where laughing gulls typically find food, making it easier for them to locate sustenance. The oldest recorded laughing gull was 22 years old when it was killed in Maine, demonstrating how effective this strategy is for conserving energy and finding food.
The Presence of Seagulls in Texas
Yes, there are seagulls in Texas. The most common species of gulls breeding along the Texas coast in summer is the Laughing Gull. Approximately 68,000 pairs of these birds nest in Texas each year. They typically nest on the ground on saltmarshes, islands, and sandy beaches along the Gulf Coast. The Laughing Gull is easily identifiable by its black head and bill, white neck, gray back and wings with black tips, and its cheerful call.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Laughing Gulls are a resilient and adaptable species of seabird found widely across North America and parts of Central and South America. They have few predators due to their size, but still make for an important part of the food chain for larger coastal sharks. Their diet consists largely of small fish, crustaceans, insects, earthworms, snails, eggs of horseshoe crabs, and the occasional young or egg of other birds. During the summer months they can be identified by their crisp black hoods and white arcs around the eye region. In winter this hood becomes a blurry grey mask on a white head. Depending on the location they may remain in the same area year-round or migrate to warmer areas duing colder months. All in all Laughing Gulls are an important part of many marine ecosystems and should be protected for generations to come.
