| Common Name | Franklin's Gull |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Leucophaeus pipixcan |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 05/25/2025 |
| Media | |
| Number Observed | 3 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | David Guertin |
| Mailing Address | 1599 Route 30 Cornwall, VT 05753 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 05/25/2025 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | Tim Blanshard (unknown email) |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 43.918237 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -73.168978 |
| Place Name | Creek Road Floodplain |
| Township | Salisbury |
| County | Addison |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 09:53 AM |
| Length of Time Observed | 10 minutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 1000 |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 250 |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | Overcast, calm |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Hawke Frontier ED X 8x42 binoculars |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | I used to see Franklin's Gulls in Minnesota and Colorado, but that was 40 years ago. I am very familiar with the similar Bonaparte's Gull. |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Flooded fields with emergent grass |
| Description of Vocalizations | Silent |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | They were flocking with the Ring-billed Gulls, flying over the flooded fields and occasionally landing on the water. We watched them in and out of view for about 10 minutes before they flew away to the south. |
| Relative Size & Shape | Small gulls, smaller than the Ring-billed Gulls they were associating with, but appeared larger than the Bonaparte's Gull that was seen here earlier in the morning. |
| Head | Black head with bold white eye arcs. |
| Feet & Bill | Red bill |
| Upper Back | Medium gray mantle |
| Wings | White primary tips at rest, and wings in flight with black wingtips with white tips, separated from the rest of the underwing by a white band. |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | Pink wash to breast |
| Tail | White tail |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | Bonaparte's Gull was ruled out by the black/white/gray pattern to the wing tips, without the white triangle of a Bonaparte's. Larger red bill, and pink wash to the breast. The flight was also not as fluttering and buoyant as a Bonaparte's. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Immediately After |
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