first-winter non-breeding plumage (California, USA; 2014-12-29)


Franklin's Gull
Larus pipixcan

Native Range: North America

Notes: the prairie counterpart of the Laughing Gull; breeds in the plains states of the U.S. interior where it feeds on insects disturbed from plowed land; normally migrates well south of the U.S. to winter; rare vagrant elsewhere.

black head is fading (California, USA; 2014-12-29)
on the rocks (California, USA; 2014-12-29)

drinking (California, USA; 2014-12-29)
stretching (California, USA; 2014-12-29)

black legs and feet (California, USA; 2014-12-29)
head portrait; note the broken eye-ring (California, USA; 2014-12-29)

brown on wings of first-year bird (California, USA; 2014-12-29)
posing for a portrait (California, USA; 2014-12-29)