Franklin's Gull in St. Louis County
2010-05-17

Occasional in St. Louis County in the Spring season

Adult Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) in alternate plumage at the Superior Entry, St. Louis County, 17 May 2010. Key features separating adult Franklin's from Laughing Gull (L. atricilla) that are visible in this image include bill size and shape, relatively thick eye arcs, rounded wing tips with limited amount of black and generous white apical spots on the primaries, and most importantly, the underwing pattern. Franklin's Gull is casual at Duluth and along the North Shore of Lake Superior. This may be the same individual reported by Karl Bardon 4 May 2010 though I am not sure of the age and exact location of his sighting. This individual was seen foraging with hundreds of Common Terns along the Minnesota breakwater at the Superior Entry; it strayed across the state line several times and was thus documented for Wisconsin also. The Superior Entry may be reached by hiking out past the Sky Harbor Airport on Park Point, Minnesota, or by driving to the tip of Wisconsin Point by taking Moccasin Mike Road off US 2/US 53 at the eastern edge of Superior, Wisconsin.

Peder H. Svingen