Bonaparte's Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia

f6.7 @ 1/1000s, ISO:640, Nikon D3S w 500mm and 1.7X teleconverter


"Bonaparte's Gull," Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Bonaparte's gull is a small gull found mainly in North America. Bonaparte's gull is among the smallest of the gull species; only little gull and Saunders's gull are smaller. Adults range from 28 to 38 cm (11 to 15 in) in length, with a wingspan of 76–84 cm (30–33 in) and a body mass of 180–225 g (6.3–7.9 oz). There is no difference in plumage or bare part color between the sexes, though males tend to be heavier than females. Bonaparte's gull is smaller-bodied, smaller-headed, and smaller-billed than the other common hooded gulls of North America. The adult has grey upperparts and white underparts; its wingtips are black above and pale below. In breeding plumage, it has a slaty black hood, which it loses in non-breeding plumage. Its short, thin bill is black, and its legs are orangish-red.
South Cape Beach, Mashpee, Massachusetts
 
01/14/2018