Franklin's Gull — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guideFranklin's Gull

Medium-sized gull with medium-gray upperparts.

⚠️Not listed

At a glance

FamilyGulls, Terns, and Skimmers

SizeMedium

RarityRare

HabitatAlthough the bird is uncommon on the coasts of North America , it occurs as a rare vagrant to northwest Europe , south and west Africa , Australia and Japan , with a single record from Eilat , Israel , in 2011 (Smith 2011), and a single record from Larnaca , Cyprus , July 2006.

Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from December.

Sounds

Sound sample

0:000:00

Recorded by Skyler Bol

Range map

Occurrence window

33visible hotspots

308visible records

6states

Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

Breeding plumage shows black head with thick white eye arcs, large white spots on black wingtips, and deep red bill and legs. White underparts are often tinged with pink. Nonbreeding plumage has partial black hood and dark bill and legs. Juveniles have browner upperparts. Breeds around lakes and marshes in the prairies of north-central North America. Most similar to Laughing Gull, which is slightly larger and lankier with a longer bill. Franklin’s shows thicker eye arcs and larger white spots on wingtips.

Behavior

Migrates through the center of the continent to and from wintering grounds in South America, where it is primarily found on the coast and offshore. Gathers in huge flocks in migration and winter.

Gallery