Birds
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla · also called laughing gulls
Calling out a cackling note that sounds remarkably like human laughter, a laughing gull earns its name the moment it opens its bill, a bold, dark-hooded regular along beaches and boardwalks across the Americas.
Overview
The laughing gull, Leucophaeus atricilla, is a bold, dark-backed gull native to coastal habitat spanning the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the Americas. Its distinctive laughing call, striking black breeding hood, and remarkable boldness around beachgoers make it one of the most instantly recognisable and behaviourally memorable gulls found anywhere along its range.
A call that gives it away
Long before a laughing gull comes into view, its distinctive cackling call often announces its presence first, a sound so close to human laughter that it has become one of the defining features of many Atlantic and Gulf coast beaches.
Status
Least Concern, remaining abundant and widespread across suitable coastal habitat throughout the Americas.
Laughing Gull: common questions
Why is the laughing gull called that?
This species is named for its distinctive, cackling call that closely resembles human laughter, a sound frequently heard along the beaches and boardwalks it commonly frequents across its Atlantic and Gulf coast range.
How can you identify a laughing gull during breeding season?
During the breeding season, this species develops a full black hood that contrasts sharply with its dark grey back and white underparts, one of the darker overall colour patterns among commonly encountered gull species.
Is the laughing gull afraid of people?
No, this species is extremely bold around people, frequently approaching beachgoers and boardwalk vendors closely in search of food, a behaviour that has made it a familiar sight at many coastal tourist destinations.
Where does the laughing gull breed?
This species breeds in dense colonies on coastal marshes and barrier islands, often alongside other seabird species, across its range spanning the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the Americas.