The Bonaparte’s Gull, Larus philadelphia, is a small, migratory gull that often move east or west to coastal waters, also the Great Lakes. They are rare vagrants to western Europe.
Adults are 31-34 cm long with a 79-84 cm wingspan. They have a black hood and a short thin dark bill. The body is mainly white with pale grey back and upper wings. The underwing is pale and the wing tips are dark. They have orange legs. In winter, the head is white.
Their breeding habitat is near bogs or lakes in coniferous forest across western Canada and Alaska. They nest in conifers, sometimes on the ground.
They mostly eat insects, crustaceans and fish. They forage in flight or pick food up while swimming or wading.
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