Laughing Gull

LAUGHING GULLS - IUCN Conservation Status: LEAST CONCERN

Laughing gulls can be found from Maine to Central America!

This majestic bird is called a laughing gull. As the name suggests, this bird make a loud “ha ha ha ha” call, which sounds like laughing. As a laughing gull ages, its colors change dramatically. The bird in this photograph is a non-breeding adult. During this time of their life, the gull will be mostly white, with a light-gray back. They will have a black beak, and spots on the end of their primary feathers.

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Laughing gulls can be found from Maine to Central America! These birds only live near the seacoast. You may have seen these popular sea birds at the beach. They are found year-round from the Carolina’s south to Central America. They can also be found from the Virginia north to Maine during breeding season.

So, what makes laughing gulls unique? Laughing gulls are typically active during the daytime, making them diurnal. However, during breeding season laughing gulls will also eat at night. So, what do they eat? They will eat fish, bird eggs, berries, crustaceans such as crabs, squid, and even bugs around streetlights at night. These birds certainly aren’t afraid of the water. They frequently dive into the water for their food, and they even have webbed feet to help them swim. Sometimes laughing gulls won’t hunt for their food at all, but instead steal a meal from another bird. If you have ever seen seagulls fed at the beach, you know how hard they will fight for a meal.

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Another interesting fact about laughing gulls is that they were nearly eliminated from the northeast United States in the 19th century by plume and egg hunters. Back in the 19th and early 20th centuries, people would hunt birds just to harvest their feathers and ornamental plumes to make hats. Fortunately, this and other species of birds have bounced back in population since then. If you have been to the beach lately, you know there is no shortage of laughing gulls. The IUCN lists their population as “Least Concern”.

Did you know? Laughing gulls will only take care of their chicks for about a month before they are on their own.

Did you know? Male and female laughing gulls build a nest together. Females typically lay 2-4 eggs.

Laughing gulls were nearly eliminated from the northeast United States

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