Extremely abundant in winter, on the coast of Florida. Equally plentiful in spring, along the coasts of the Middle and Eastern Districts, especially in the Chesapeake. Breeds from the Bay of Fundy to high latitudes. Not uncommon in autumn, on the Great Lakes, and the Ohio and Mississippi.
Brown-masked Gull, Larus capistratus, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. iv. Female.
Larus capistratus, Bonap. Syn. p. 358.
Larus Bonapartii, Bonapartian Gull, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 425.
Bonapartian Gull, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 294.
Bonapartian Gull, Larus Bonapartii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 212.
444. 4. Larus Atricilla, Linn. Black-headed Gull.—Laughing Gull.
Plate CCCXIV. Male and Young.
Bill moderately stout, and with the feet, margin of eyelids, and inside of mouth deep carmine; wings extending three inches beyond the tail, which is even; head and upper neck all round blackish lead-grey, darker on the upper part of the head and along the posterior margin, which descends lower in front, or to the extent of about two inches and a half from the base of the lower mandible; two narrow white bands bordering the upper and lower eyelids; lower neck all round, the whole lower surface, rump and tail white, but the fore part of the neck and the breast down to the legs, of a beautiful light rosy tint; back and wings greyish-blue, with a slight tinge of purple, excepting a large terminal portion of the secondaries, and the tips of the primaries, which are white; first primary black, with a tinge of grey on the inner web at the base; second and third similar, with the grey more extended; the fourth with it extending over two-thirds, the fifth black only for an inch and a half, on the sixth the black reduced to two spots near the end; the other parts and the remaining primaries of the same general colour as the back. Female similar, but considerably smaller. In winter, the head white, the feathers on its upper part and the nape more or less brownish-grey in their concealed part, that colour appearing in slight patches here and there, and especially along the posterior margin of the part that is coloured in summer, as well as on a small space before the eye; in other respects the plumage as in summer, but without the rosy tint. Young, when fledged, with the bill, feet, inside of mouth, and edges of eyelids olivaceous brown; upper parts brownish-grey, the feathers edged with paler; hind part of back light bluish-grey; upper tail-coverts nearly white; tail pale greyish-blue, with a broad band of brownish-black at the end, the extreme tips narrowly edged with white, the outer margin of the lateral feathers of the same colour; the first four primaries destitute of white at the tip; a small patch before the eye, two slight bands on the eyelids, and the throat, greyish-white; lower part of neck brownish-grey; the rest of the lower parts greyish-white, the sides darker, the axillars ash-grey, lower surface of wing dusky grey.
Adult, 17, 403/4.
Most abundant from Texas to Massachusetts, breeding along the coast. Up the Mississippi to New Orleans. Those which in spring remove to the eastward of the Floridas return early in autumn.
Black-headed Gull, Larus ridibundus, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ix. p. 89.
Larus atricilla, Bonap. Syn. p. 359.
Black-headed Gull, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 291.
Black-headed or Laughing Gull, Larus atricilla, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 118.
445. 5. Larus Franklinii, Richardson. Franklin's Rosy Gull.
Not figured.