Adult laughing gull U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Laughing Gulls are medium-sized gulls with long wings and legs. They have a body that is all white with the exception of their head which switches from a black color in the summer to white in the winter. Juvenile body feathers are brownish but they also have the black and white head colors.
The Laughing Gull will swoop down from the air to catch fish in their beaks and crabs found on shore but will eat anything to survive. Laughing Gulls eat almost anything. They will aquatic invertebrates. They are will also eat garbage and discards from fishing boats. They often congregate in parking lots, sandy beaches, and mud bars. They tend to eat at night but are active in the day.
Laughing Gulls can usually be found in large colonies. These birds live along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts and grow to about 13 inches long. They have a great tolerance for intense temperatures. The laughing gull makes a sound, “ha ha ha” thus the name “laughing gull”.
Laughing Gull in flight Guanaco