This small, graceful gull migrates through our area in small, reserved flocks that stop over without drawing attention to themselves. When they reach their summer nesting grounds just north of the Rockies, Bonaparte's Gulls choose to nest in trees, quite unlike other gulls. These gulls seem reserved in comparison to other gulls, and they more closely resemble terns in behavior. Like terns, Bonaparte's Gulls tend not to forage in landfills, preferring to dine on the surface of lakes and marshes. This small gull was not named for the French emperor, but rather for his nephew, zoologist Charles Lucien Bonaparte. The first specimen described was a winter bird found near Philadelphia, hence its scientific name. |
I.D.: Sexes similar: black bill; gray mantle; white eye ring; white underparts. Breeding: black head; orange legs. Non-breeding: white head; dark ear patch. In flight: white leading edge to the wings. Size: L 12-14 in. (30-36 cm); W 33 in. (84 cm). Range: rare migrant in the U.S. Rockies; uncommon to common summer visitor and migrant in the Canadian Rockies. Habitat: large lakes, rivers and marshlands in the montane. Nesting: in the boreal forest; occasionally in a colony; in coniferous trees; occupies abandoned stick nests of crows, jays or raptors. Feeding: dabbles and tips up for aquatic invertebrates, small fish and tadpoles; gleans the ground for terrestrial invertebrates; also captures insects in the air. Voice: scratchy, soft eer eer while feeding. Similar Species: Franklin's Gull: adult has an orange bill and shows a lot less white in the wings. |
