Franklin’s Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Most Franklin’s Gulls build floating nests, often in prairie wetlands of the Canadian interior in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, North Dakota and Minnesota. Recently they’ve been found breeding in Colorado, central Oregon, southern Idaho, northwestern Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota and northwestern Iowa. In winter, they migrate as far south as along the Pacific Coast of South America, from Peru to Chile, where they are common along beaches, ports, and cultivated fields.
The population has declined by over 78% since 1966. Habitat loss has been the biggest threat, but the creation of national wildlife refuges has helped their numbers recover somewhat.
Recent DNA studies have shaken up the taxonomy designations of many species. This includes the Franklin’s Gull and other former members of the genus Larus. In 2008, these birds were reclassified to the genus Leucophaeus, along with four other gull species. Taxonomists regard the Franklin’s Gull as monotypic (i.e. no subspecies are recognised).
The first Franklin’s Gull I met was a migrating bird in April 2004. I was getting acquainted with Cibola NWR, near the Colorado River and the California-Arizona border. It was the first black-headed gull species I’d ever seen. My next meetings didn’t come until a brief encounter in 2015 while I visited southern Oregon. I returned to the region in 2016 and found them once more. Though it was a more distant meeting, it lasted longer. In 2017, I visited the Salt Lake region with friends, while on my way to Idaho to see the Total Solar Eclipse. During my tour of Antelope Island, I enjoyed the company of both California Gulls and Franklin’s Gulls as they feasted on brine flies.
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:17 7:00 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X5101-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:17 7:08 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X5244-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:17 7:23 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X5402-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: Feeding on Brine Flies. Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:17 7:31 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X5526-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: Hanging out with Red-Necks (Phalaropes). Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:17 7:33 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X5617-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Larus pipixcan) |
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Description: Feeding on Brine Flies. Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:17 7:34 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X5655-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: First summer birds at Antelope Island State Park, one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:18 10:37 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X6992-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:18 10:42 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X7103-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: First summer birds loafing at Antelope Island State Park, one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:18 10:58 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X7415-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: These gulls seemed to be foraging on mosquitoes and other small insects. Location is the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, south of Klamath Falls Oregon in California. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:05 11:58 |
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Location:
Lower Klamath NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D720500-FranklinsGull |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: Cibola NWR, South of Blyth, CA. In Arizona near the Colorado River. |
Date Taken: 2004:04:02 14:25 |
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Location:
Goose Loop |
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Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 |
File Name: JCD_6445FranklinsGull |
| © 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: These gulls seemed to be foraging on mosquitoes and other small insects. Location is the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, south of Klamath Falls Oregon in California. |
Date Taken: 2016:05:05 13:16 |
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Location:
Lower Klamath NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D720702-FranklinsGull |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a large wetland delta where the Bear River terminates in the Great Salt Lake. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:16 10:28 |
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Location:
Bear River Bird Refuge |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/5000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X4302-BearRiver |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is a large wetland delta where the Bear River terminates in the Great Salt Lake. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:16 10:58 |
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Location:
Bear River Bird Refuge |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/8000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X4513-BearRiver |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:18 10:59 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/22.0, 1/800 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X7458-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: Feeding on Brine Flies. Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:17 7:43 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X5775-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: First summer birds at Antelope Island State Park, one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:18 10:24 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X6870-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: Where the Klamath River feeds into Lake Ewauna at Veteran's Park in Klamath Falls Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:04 17:59 |
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Location:
Veteran's Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: D3X8513-FranklinsGull |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: I met this bird mingling in a flock of Ring-Billed Gulls where the Klamath River feeds into Lake Ewauna at Veteran's Park in Klamath Falls Oregon. |
Date Taken: 2015:06:04 17:59 |
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Location:
Veteran's Park |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: D3X8512-FranklinsGull |
| © 2015 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
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Description: Hanging out with Red-Necks (Phalaropes). Antelope Island State Park is one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:17 6:45 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X4889-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Franklin's Gull(Leucophaeus pipixcan) |
|
Description: First summer birds at Antelope Island State Park, one of the most memorable birding locations I've had the pleasure of visiting. It sits north of Salt Lake City Utah near the community of Layton. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:17 7:00 |
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Location:
Antelope Island |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: FranklinsGull_D5X5103-AntelopeIsland |
| © 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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