Credit: Rachid H

North American field guide

Laughing Gull

Leucophaeus atricilla

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

41-43 cm (16-17") Common along coast, rare inland except at Salton Sea. Largest of the black-headed gulls - crow-sized. Black head with broken white eye-ring; red bill; white underparts and tail; dark gray mantle blends into black wing tips. Similar Franklin's Gull has a white wing band between mantle and black wing tips.

Winter adult similar, but head white with smudge of gray behind eye, bill black.

Song: loud laugh.

Details in the field

Photo gallery

8 photos

Credit: Larry Bond

Credit: surrph

Credit: Roy Niswanger

Winter Laughing Gull (farthest) and Franklin's Gull (foreground)

Credit: Dan Irizarry

Credit: das_miller

Credit: Laura Gooch

Credit: Carol Foil

Watch and learn

Videos

2 videos

"Laughing Gulls" mating

Credit: JDD

Laughing Gull Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge Oceanville NJ

Credit: Brian Kushner

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

Loading the rebuilt map…

Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Bird Advisor Identification rules 1 variant 4 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Laughing Gull

4 rules

Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 5

What colour were the LEGS or FEET ?: Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Blue · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the TAIL ?: Square or slightly notched at the end · Rounded at the end · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and thick · Hooked · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the EYES ?: Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Gull-like, or a Seabird
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:545-laughing-gull:1:1 Source: 545 Laughing Gull, row 1

Rule 2 13 criteria confidence 1

What colour were the LEGS or FEET ?: Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Blue · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the TAIL ?: Square or slightly notched at the end · Rounded at the end · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and thick · Hooked · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the EYES ?: Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Gull-like, or a Seabird
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Spring · Summer · Fall
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:545-laughing-gull:2:1 Source: 545 Laughing Gull, row 2

Rule 3 12 criteria confidence 5

What colour were the LEGS or FEET ?: Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Blue · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the TAIL ?: Square or slightly notched at the end · Rounded at the end · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and thick · Hooked · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the EYES ?: Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Gull-like, or a Seabird
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Northeastern Canada or United States · Southeastern United States

result:545-laughing-gull:3:1 Source: 545 Laughing Gull, row 3

Rule 4 12 criteria confidence 1

What colour were the LEGS or FEET ?: Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Blue · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the TAIL ?: Square or slightly notched at the end · Rounded at the end · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?: Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?: White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BILL ?: Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?: Straight and thick · Hooked · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?: Short · Medium · Unknown
What colour were the EYES ?: Brown or blackish brown · Black or dark gray · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?: Pigeon-sized · Crow-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?: Gull-like, or a Seabird
WHEN was the bird seen ?: Winter
WHERE was the bird seen ?: Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States

result:545-laughing-gull:4:1 Source: 545 Laughing Gull, row 4