LAUGHING GULL
Leucophaeus atricilla
The Laughing Gull is the charismatic comedian of the coastline-bold, charming, and impossible to ignore. With its crisp white body, smoky-gray wings, and unmistakable black hood during breeding season, this gull brings a dash of personality to every shoreline it visits. Found along Atlantic and Gulf coasts, barrier islands, salt marshes, and even busy fishing docks, Laughing Gulls thrive wherever land meets sea. Their name comes from their distinctive call, a bright, cackling "ha-ha-ha" that truly sounds like laughter carried on the wind. Did you know Laughing Gulls are exceptionally skilled food thieves, capable of snatching snacks right out of the air-or from an unsuspecting pelican's mouth-earning them a mischievous reputation among coastal birds and humans alike?
