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Chroicocephalus philadelphia (Ord, 1815)
Bonaparte's Gull
Synonym(s): Larus philadelphia
Florida native
These small gulls winters along lakes, rivers, marshes, bays and beaches near the Florida coasts. The winter range extends along both coasts from Washington state and Nova Scotia south to Mexico and the Caribbean, plus the Great Lakes area and the lower Mississippi River basin. Summer breeding range extends from western Quebec west throughout most of interior Canada into Alaska.
Nonbreeding plumage shows a white head with a dark spot behind the eyes. dark smudges on top of the head, back gray and white underside. Breeding plumage exhibits a black head.
Chroicocephalus philadelphia is a member of the Laridae - Gulls, Terns & Skimmers family.
iNaturalist profile for this species
For more information on this species, visit the following link:
Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds page for this species
Date record last modified: Nov 16, 2023
