ZipcodeZoo.com

Larus philadelphia

(Bonaparte's Gull)

Overview:

Interesting Facts:

  • Common in winter in the piedmont and along the coast in North Carolina, Bonaparte's Gulls are fairly small and show a distinct white wedge in the upper wing as adults.

Conservation Status

Population Analysis

  • For the 56,576 species in the Class Aves (Birds), we average 371.87 observations each in our database; for the Bonaparte's Gull, we have 17,412 observations. Compared to other species in this Class, this species is moderately common.
  • A two-sample t-test can be used to determine whether the trend in observations of the Bonaparte's Gull is the same as the trend in observations of Aves. Is this species just as common, as a proportion of all observations, as it once was? The answer is no, changes in observation rate of this species significantly differ from changes in observation rate of its Class. (t=27.181, p<0.001)
  • How do observation rates of the Bonaparte's Gull differ from those of Aves? To answer this, we examined the percentage of observerations for Aves that were observations of the Bonaparte's Gull each year. We then correlated this percentage with observation year. If observations of the Bonaparte's Gull are becoming more common relative to other species of Aves, the correlation should be positive, but if it is becoming less common, the correlation should be negative. In fact, the correlation is negative (r=-.12), with a negative slope (m = -.001), suggesting that the Bonaparte's Gull may be in decline relative to other species of Aves. This correlation is statistically significant. (F = 57.08, p<.05)
  • The scatter chart to the right shows the percentage of all observations for Aves each year that were observations of the Bonaparte's Gull.

History:

  • 1988-Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2004)
  • 1994-Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2004)
  • 2000-Lower Risk/least concern (BirdLife International 2000)

Justification

This species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 4,300,000 km². It has a large global population estimated to be 260,000-530,000 individuals (Wetlands International 2002). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Taxonomy

  • Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
    • Kingdom: Animalia Linnaeus, 1758 - Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
      • Subkingdom: Bilateria (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - (Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians

Notes:

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 17-Oct-2001

Physical Description

Family Laridae:

Medium to large birds, usually grey or white, often with black markings on the head or wings. They have stout, longish bills, and webbed feet.

Adult:

Bill: Shape: slender Body: Size: small.

Adult Breeding Season:

Head: black Crown: gray-tinged Ear Coverts: dusky spot Face: white Bill: black Shape: slender Body: Mantle: pale gray Rump: white Size: small Underparts: white Legs: Leg Color: red Tail: white.

Adult Summer:

Head: Hood: blackish Bill: black Body: Back: gray Underparts: white Legs: Leg Color: orange.

Adult Winter:

Head: white Crown: gray-tinged Ear Coverts: dusky spot Face: white Bill: black Shape: slender Body: Mantle: pale gray Rump: white Size: small Underparts: white Legs: Leg Color: reddish Tail: white.

First Winter:

Head: black Crown: gray-tinged Ear Coverts: dusky spot Face: white Bill: dusky with brownish-orange base Shape: slender Body: Mantle: pale gray Rump: white Size: small Underparts: white Legs: Leg Color: dull flesh-colored Wings: Secondaries: dusky Tail: white with black subterminal band.

Size/Age/Growth:

About 12 to 14 inches long, with a wingspan of 33 to 36 inches. Adults weigh about 7.5 ounces.

Images:

Distribution

Range and Population

North America

Habitat

Vegetation: freshwater marshes, coastal waters, freshwater lakes and ponds • Minimum Elevation: 0 meters • Maximum Elevation: 0 meters • Sensitivity to Disturbance: Medium.

Diet

Mostly aquatic invertebrates and lesser quantities of fish.

Reproduction

  • Clutch Size: 3
  • Length of Incubation: 24 days
  • Number of Broods: 1?

Migration

Migratory

Song/Voice


Larus philadelphia
Recordist: Tony Phillips Date Recorded: April 01, 2004 Location of Recording: Long Island


Larus philadelphia
Recordist: Tony Phillips Date Recorded: April 01, 2004 Location of Recording: Long Island


Larus philadelphia
Recordist: Tony Phillips Date Recorded: April 01, 2004 Location of Recording: Long Island

Similar Species

Black-Headed Gull

Members of the genus Larus:

There are approximately 188 species and subspecies in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: L. africilla (Laughing Gull) · L. argentatus (Herring Gull) · L. argentatus antelius · L. argentatus argentatus (Herring Gull) · L. argentatus argenteus · L. argentatus atlantis · L. argentatus birulae · L. argentatus cachinnans · L. argentatus drosti · L. argentatus heuglini · L. argentatus hueglini · L. argentatus michahelis · L. argentatus michahelles · L. argentatus michahellis · L. argentatus mongolicus · L. argentatus omissus · L. argentatus smithsonianus · L. argentatus ssp · L. argentatus thayeri · L. argentatus vegae · L. armenicus (Armenian Gull) · L. atlanticus (Olrog's Gull) · L. atricilla (Laughing Gull) · L. atricilla atricilla · L. atricilla megalopterus · L. audouinii (Audouin's Gull) · L. belcheri (Band-Tailed Gull) · L. belcheri atlanticus · L. belcheri belcheri · L. borealis · L. brachyrhynchus · L. brachyrhynchus (Red-Legged Kittiwake) · L. bridgesii · L. brunneicephalus · L. brunnicephalus (Brown-Headed Gull) · L. bulleri (Black-Billed Gull) · L. byperboreus · L. cachin · L. cachinnans (Yellow-Legged Gull) · L. cachinnans atlantis · L. cachinnans barabensis · L. cachinnans cachinanns · L. cachinnans cachinnans · L. cachinnans michahellis · L. cachinnans mongolicus · L. californicus (California Gull) · L. californicus albertaensis · L. californicus californicus · L. californicus ssp · L. canus (Mew Gull) · L. canus brachyrhynchus (Mew Gull) · L. canus canus (Mew Gull) · L. canus heinei (Mew Gull) · L. canus kamtschatschensis · L. capistratus · L. cirrhocephalus · L. cirrhocephalus cirrhocephalus · L. cirrocephalus (Grey-Headed Gull) · L. cirrocephalus cirrocephalus · L. cirrocephalus poiocephalus · L. crassirostris (Black-Tailed Gull) · L. delawarenis · L. delawarensis (Ring-Billed Gull) · L. delewarensis · L. dominicanus (Kelp Gull) · L. dominicanus austrinus · L. dominicanus dominicanus · L. dominicanus melisandae · L. dominicanus vetula · L. dominicanus vetula (Ivory Gull) · L. eburneus · L. elegans · L. franklerii · L. fuliginosus (Lava Gull) · L. furcatus (Swallow-Tailed Gull) · L. fuscus (Lesser Black-Backed Gull) · L. fuscus antelius · L. fuscus britannicus · L. fuscus fuscus (Lesser Black-Backed Gull) · L. fuscus graellsi · L. fuscus graellsii (Lesser Black-Backed Gull) · L. fuscus heuglini · L. fuscus intermedius · L. gelastes · L. genei (Slender-Billed Gull) · L. glaucescens (Glaucous-Winged Gull) · L. glaucescens californicus · L. glaucescens hybrid · L. glaucescens occidentalis · L. glaucescens x · L. glaucoides (Iceland Gull) · L. glaucoides glaucoides (Iceland Gull) · L. glaucoides kumlieni (Iceland Gull) · L. glaucoides thayeri (Iceland Gull) · L. glaucus · L. haematorhynchus · L. hartlaubi · L. hartlaubii (King Gull) · L. heermanni (Heermann's Gull) · L. heermanni heermanni

Bibliography

  • Alsop, Fred J. III. Birds of North America - Eastern Region. First American Edition. Smithsonian Handbooks. DK Publishing, Inc. 2001.
  • Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, A. L. Gardner, and W. C. Starnes 2003. Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada.
  • BirdLife International. 2000. Threatened Birds of the World. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, U.K.
  • Ehrlich, P., Dobkin, D., and Wheye, D. (1988). The Birders Handbook: A Field Guide to the Natural History of North American Birds. New York: Simon and Schuster Inc. (info on clutch size, length of incubation, days to fledge and number of broods.)
  • Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc. (Length and wingspan info.)

More Info

Notes

Contributors:

  • BirdLife International 2004. Larus philadelphia. In: IUCN 2006. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org . Downloaded on 21 October 2006.
  • Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
  • Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2006. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Accessed April 21, 2007.
  • Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 05, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 17 providers.
  • Hines, J. E., Gregory Gough, J. R. Sauer, et al. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
  • NatureServe. 2003. Downloadable animal data sets. NatureServe Central Databases. Accessed February 6, 2005.
  • Parker III, T.A., D.F. Stotz, and J.W. Fitzpatrick, and quot;Ecological and Distributional Databases for Neotropical Birds, and quot; in Neotropical Birds: Ecology and Conservation, by D.F. Stotz, T.A. Parker III, J.W. Fitzpatrick, and D.K. Moskovits (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996). ISBN 0-226-64676-9.
  • Sauer, J. R., J. E. Hines, and J. Fallon. 2005. The North American Breeding Bird Survey, Results and Analysis 1966 - 2004. Version 2005.2. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD
  • Sauer, J. R., S. Schwartz, and B. Hoover. 1996. The Christmas Bird Count Home Page. Version 95.1. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Laurel, MD

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 05, 2008:

  • Avian Knowledge Network: eBird
  • Avian Knowledge Network: Great Backyard Bird Count
  • Avian Knowledge Network: Project FeederWatch
  • Bird Studies Canada: BC Coastal Waterbird Survey
  • Bird Studies Canada: Marsh Monitoring Program - Birds
  • Bird Studies Canada: Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 1981-1985
  • Bird Studies Canada: Ontario Breeding Bird Atlas 2001-2005
  • Borror Laboratory of Bioacoustics
  • Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: North West Territories and Nunavut Bird Checklist, Canada
  • Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Ontario Nest Records
  • Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. Birds (Aves)
  • Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility: Royal British Columbia Museum
  • Canadian Museum of Nature: Canadian Museum of Nature Bird Collection
  • EMAN Provider: PIROP (Shipboard Surveys)
  • GBIF-Sweden: Birds (GBIF-SE:Artdatabanken)
  • Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: A Biological Survey of the Waters of Woods Hole and Vacinity
  • Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Bay of Fundy Species List (OBIS Canada)
  • Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: SEAMAP - marine mammals, birds and turtles
  • Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University: Taxonomic Information Sytem for the Belgian coastal area
  • Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University: MCZ Ornithology Collection
  • Museum of Vertebrate Zoology: Terrestrial vertebrate specimens
  • New Brunswick Museum: NBM birds
  • Royal Ontario Museum: Bird specimens
  • Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History: Santa Barbara Musem of Natural History
  • UCLA-Dickey Bird Collection (UCLA-Dickey): Bird specimens
  • UNIBIO, IBUNAM: CNAV/Coleccion Nacional de Aves
  • University of Colorado Museum: Zoological specimens
  • University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ): Bird specimens

Identifiers:

Keep Exploring...

Loading...
Loading...

What is this? Click to find out...

Loading...
Loading...
Last Revised: May 17, 2008