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Birds of Zihuatanejo

CLASS AVES

-Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

-Chordates (Phylum Chordata)

-Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)

-Birds (Class Aves)

-Shorebirds and Allies (Order Charadriiformes)

-Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers (Family Laridae)

-Terns and Noddies (Subfamily Sterninae)

-Crested Terns (Genus Thalasseus)

-Elegant Tern (Thalasseus elegans)


Laughing gulls eat a wide variety of foods, including fish, insects, mollusks and garbage. They will also hover over freshly plowed farm fields in spring to search for grubs. Laughing gulls sometimes eat the eggs of other bird species, but not as frequently as other gull species. Laughing gulls nest from late May to early August in sand dunes and salt marshes. Laughing gulls are named for their distinctive, laugh-like call.

Laughing Gull

Leucophaeus atricilla

Diet

  • Omnivorous, feeding on fish, shrimp, crabs, marine worms, molluscs, aquatic insects, and other invertebrates.

  • Also scavenges carrion, garbage, food scraps, and occasionally steals food from other birds.

  • Forages along beaches, estuaries, mudflats, coastal lagoons, fishing docks, and offshore waters, often following fishing boats.

Range

  • Breeds along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of North America, the Caribbean, and locally along the Pacific coast of Mexico.

  • Occurs year-round along much of Mexico's Pacific coast, including the Zihuatanejo region, although numbers increase during migration and winter.

  • Inhabits beaches, estuaries, mangroves, mudflats, coastal lagoons, harbours, and offshore waters.

Male / Female

  • Male: White underparts, dark gray back, black head during the breeding season, bright red bill, and black legs. Slightly larger with a heavier bill.

  • Female: Similar in plumage but generally smaller and more slender.

  • Non-breeding adults: The black hood is replaced by a white head with a dark ear spot and dusky markings on the crown.

  • Sexes cannot be reliably distinguished in the field except by subtle size differences.

Size

  • Length: 39–46 cm (15.4–18.1 in)

  • Wingspan: 98–110 cm (39–43 in)

  • Weight: 200–370 g (7–13 oz)

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