Chroicocephalus philadelphia
The Bonaparte's Gull is a small, graceful gull, a true aerial acrobat of North American waterways. Measuring 28-35 cm (11-14 in) in length with a wingspan of 76-79 cm (30-31 in) and weighing 100-240 g (3.5-8.5 oz), it is the smallest and most delicate gull in the region. In breeding plumage, adults sport a distinctive black head, a slender black bill, a grey mantle, white underparts, and bright red legs; non-breeding adults have a white head with a prominent dusky spot behind the eye. A key f...
Breeds in boreal forests near freshwater ponds and lakes; winters and migrates along coastal waters, major rivers, and large inland lakes.
Mainly insects (especially aquatic invertebrates and midges), small fish, and crustaceans; primarily forages by aerial hawking, surface dipping, and gleaning.
Primarily diurnal, Bonaparte's Gulls often roost communally on open water or sheltered shorelines, especially during non-breeding seasons. Their foraging strategies are remarkably agile and varied; they frequently hawk insects in mid-air with tern-like precision, dip to the water's surface for sm...
The breeding range of the Bonaparte's Gull extends across the boreal forests of Alaska and Canada, from western Alaska east through the Yukon, Northwest Territories, northern British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec, often near slow-moving rivers, lakes, and muskeg. ...
Least Concern
- The Bonaparte's Gull is the smallest gull species found in North America. - It is the only North American gull that nests exclusively in trees, typically conifers in boreal forests. - Its scientific name, *philadelphia*, honors the city where Charles Lucien Bonaparte, nephew of Napoleon, conduc...