Franklin's Gull in St. Louis County
2010-09-15

Uncommon in St. Louis County in the Fall season

Juvenile Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) at Park Point Recreation Area, Duluth, 15 September 2010. This species is a rare migrant at Duluth. Characters useful for the elimination of same-aged Laughing Gull (L. atricilla) that are visible in this image include bill size and shape (longer and drooping near the tip in atricilla), relatively clean white breast (brownish to grayish-brown breast on atricilla, especially on the sides of the breast), and small white apical spots on primaries (usually solidly black folded primaries on atricilla). This individual also shows the compact, relatively short-winged shape of pipixcan. Its small size in comparison to hundreds of Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis) was obvious. This was one of two Franklin's Gulls found by Mike Hendrickson and Peder Svingen when brisk east winds and rain forced hundreds of gulls onto the ballfields at the Recreation Area. We were looking at the flock from opposite ends of the ball fields and gave one another directions by cell phone that were initially confusing -- until we realized that each of us was looking at a different individual!

Digital image taken under overcast skies and light rain by Peder H. Svingen.