At just 12.6-14.2 inches long (32-36 cm), Franklin's gull fits on a ruler the size of a school notebook, yet its wings span 33.5-37.4 inches (85-95 cm), almost as wide as a compact car's door. Weighing only 8.1-10.6 oz (230-300 g), it can stay aloft for long migrations while carrying barely more than a handful of coins. This tiny aerodynamic package lets the bird travel from Canada's prairies to winter havens in Argentina, the Caribbean, Chile and Peru, linking distant ecosystems with a single feathered traveler.
They occasionally turn up on distant shores: a single record from Eilat, Israel in 2011 and another from Larnaca, Cyprus in July 2006 show the species can cross oceans as a rare vagrant. By early 2017 they were also observed in southern Romania, extending their known range into southeast Europe.
Wetlands International estimated in 2018 that the global population of Franklin's gulls numbers between 1,000,000 and 1,490,000 individuals, a size large enough to keep the species classified as "Least Concern" on the IUCN Red List. This growing population.
Franklin's gulls take three years to reach full adult plumage. During that time they practice a unique river-floating habit: on the Bow River they drift with the current, repeatedly returning to the same stretch to sip emerging insect hatches.
Breeding colonies of Franklin's gulls nest on the ground near prairie lakes, sometimes even on floating platforms, and lay just two or three eggs. Those eggs are incubated for about three weeks before hatching.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
As the sun rises over the vast, open waters, the Franklin's Gull takes to the skies, its sleek, grey form slicing effortlessly through the air with a fluidity that belies its remarkable agility. With a flick of its wings, it banks and turns, its piercing cry echoing across the waves as it pursues the schools of small fish that dart through the shallows, its predatory prowess honed to perfection. In its migratory journeys, this intrepid bird traverses the Americas, a testament to its unyielding spirit and adaptability, weaving a fascinating narrative of survival and resilience.
Advertisement
Hear the Franklin's Gull, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
