Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla ‡
Foreshore, Cairns, FNE Qld IMG_3895 20231002 - in breeding plumage. CLICK for another pic.
Notes: In breeding plumage black hood, dark grey upperparts, tail white,
bill dark reddish, legs
reddish black. Bold white split eye-ring. Similar size to
Silver Gull but long angled wings w. mainly
black
wing-tips. Bill is longer, thicker, and slightly drooped rather than short & straight as for
smaller Franklin's Gull which also has mainly
white-tipped primaries w. black sub-terminal band.
Sexes similar. Non-breeding adult has
rudimentary dark hood. Vagrant from N America.
Sightings eBird©(last 10 years)
Foreshore, Cairns, FNE Qld IMG_3920 20231002 - in breeding plumage. CLICK for another view.
Foreshore, Cairns, FNE Qld IMG_3976 20231002 - in breeding plumage. With Silver Gull.
Foreshore, Cairns, FNE Qld IMG_3934 20231002 - in breeding plumage. CLICK for another pic.
Foreshore, Cairns, FNE Qld IMG_3883 20231002 - in breeding plumage
Foreshore, Cairns, FNE Qld IMG_5233 20231007 - in breeding plumage. CLICK for another view.
Foreshore, Cairns, FNE Qld IMG_3897+3999 20231002 - in breeding plumage.