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A locally rare gull normally found on saltwater. Records may be in any month, but most are in April-June. Juvenile / first cycles and smaller numbers of adult-like birds occur Aug-Nov.
Juvenile / First Cycle
June
July
The earliest juvenile Laughing Gulls can arrive in the Great Lakes by the end of July. Probable breeding has occurred on Lake Erie and Lake Michigan; however, to date no nest has formally been found.
August
Gray "first winter" mantle feathers can start to appear by the end of August. Some birds retain full juvenile plumage into September.
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
Few reference images of this age class are available from Feb-Apr. These "first year" Laughing Gulls begin wandering into our area by early May.
May
There is a remarkable range of variation in "first spring" Laughing Gull. Some individuals (above) appear ratty and worn, others molt enough feathers to bear some resemblance to their eventual adult plumage (below). It has been noted that some of these particularly advanced birds are unusual in having replace some flight feathers (their tail & some secondaries) at some point over the winter or early spring.
Second Cycle
The change from first to second cycle depends on the timing of the start of the inner primary molt. May/June is used here as an arbitrary cutoff.
June
The strong variation in molt strategies continue to be evident in June:
Individuals with dark retained juvenile tails / flight feathers (above)
Individuals which have replaced their most or all of their tails with bright white feathers and some or all secondaries (below)
July
Sometimes these "year old" Laughing Gulls appear sick and may present delayed molt patterns compared to what may be expected within the species core range.
August
Through the summer, Laughing Gulls will obtain an adult-like plumage. As such, they are considered a "two year" gull; however, many of these second cycle individuals are recognizable by black markings on the wing coverts and may also have less bright white feathers below. By spring, some may also show a reduced/incomplete black hood - although many will obtain a complete hood.
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
Third Cycle / Adult
June
July
August
The above bird may have a delayed molt compared to a normal healthy adult.
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
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