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Home/Species/ Bonaparte's Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

(Ord, 1815)

Bonaparte's Gull

G5Secure Found in 60 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.106311
Element CodeABNNM03050
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassAves
OrderCharadriiformes
FamilyLaridae
GenusChroicocephalus
Synonyms
Larus philadelphia(Ord, 1815)
Other Common Names
Gaviota de Bonaparte (ES) Mouette de Bonaparte (FR)
Concept Reference
American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in The Auk]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
Taxonomic Comments
Formerly included in Larus but separated on the basis of genetic data (Pons et al., 2005) that indicate that the genus would be paraphyletic if the following species were included: C. philadelphia, C. cirrocephalus, and C. ridibundus (AOU, 2008).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2016-04-07
Change Date1996-11-27
Range Extent Comments
BREEDING: western and central Alaska, central Yukon, northwestern and central Mackenzie, and northern Manitoba south to base of Alaska Peninsula, south-coastal and (rarely) southeastern Alaska, southern British Columbia, southwestern Alberta, central Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, and central Ontario. Nonbreeders occur in summer south along coast to California and New England, and in interior to Great Lakes. NON-BREEDING: from Washington south along coast to northwestern Mexico (southern Baja California, Sinaloa); Great Lakes; southeastern Canada south along coast to Florida, west to southern Texas and central Mexico; Bermuda, Bahamas, and Greater Antilles; occasional in Hawaii (AOU 1983, NGS 1983, Sibley and Monroe 1990).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

NON-BREEDING: along seacoasts, bays and harbors, estuaries, mudflats, marshes, rivers, lakes, ponds, and flooded fields (AOU 1983). More pelagic than most gulls, often feeds offshore (Braune 1989). BREEDING: coniferous woodland near ponds and lakes. Often nests in trees in old bird's nest (AOU 1983).

Ecology

Nonbreeding: often seen in loose flocks; often associates with terns when feeding or resting.

Reproduction

Breeding begins mid-June (Harrison 1978). Incubates 2-3, usually 3, eggs for 24 days (Terres 1980). Nestlings are semi-precocial and downy. Usually nests solitarily or in small groups (Terres 1980).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - Conifer
Palustrine Habitats
TEMPORARY POOLHERBACEOUS WETLANDBog/fenRiparian
Other Nations (2)
CanadaN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
AlbertaS5BYes
Yukon TerritoryS4BYes
QuebecS4BYes
NunavutSUBYes
ManitobaS5BYes
Northwest TerritoriesS4Yes
Prince Edward IslandS5MYes
New BrunswickS5MYes
OntarioS5Yes
British ColumbiaS5Yes
SaskatchewanS4BYes
Nova ScotiaS5MYes
United StatesN5B,N5N
ProvinceRankNative
GeorgiaS3Yes
NevadaS3MYes
OregonSNAYes
MississippiS4NYes
DelawareS4NYes
Navajo NationS3MYes
OhioSNAYes
MarylandS2NYes
FloridaSNRNYes
WashingtonS5NYes
KentuckySNAYes
WisconsinSNAYes
UtahSNAYes
New YorkSNRNYes
ArkansasS4NYes
Rhode IslandSNAYes
MinnesotaSNRMYes
New JerseyS4NYes
ConnecticutSNAYes
ColoradoSNAYes
AlaskaS5BYes
MichiganSNRNYes
VirginiaSNRNYes
South CarolinaS5NYes
MaineS4NYes
MissouriSNAYes
IowaS4NYes
TexasS4Yes
NebraskaSNRNYes
TennesseeS4NYes
MassachusettsS4NYes
New HampshireSNAYes
LouisianaS4NYes
District of ColumbiaS3NYes
PennsylvaniaS2NYes
IdahoS3MYes
New MexicoS4NYes
North DakotaSNAYes
MontanaSNAYes
OklahomaS2NYes
AlabamaS5NYes
VermontSNAYes
WyomingS5NYes
IllinoisSNAYes
South DakotaSNAYes
North CarolinaS5NYes
KansasS3NYes
IndianaSNAYes
West VirginiaSNAYes
ArizonaS3MYes
CaliforniaSNRNYes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
11 - Climate change & severe weatherPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)
11.1 - Habitat shifting & alterationPervasive (71-100%)UnknownLow (long-term)

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Roadless Areas (60)
Alaska (44)
AreaForestAcres
AnanTongass National Forest36,666
Behm IslandsTongass National Forest4,777
ChichagofTongass National Forest555,858
Chilkat-West Lynn CanalTongass National Forest199,772
Chugach-12Chugach National Forest8,116
Chugach-13Chugach National Forest13,337
Chugach-4Chugach National Forest2,797
Chugach-8Chugach National Forest21,559
ClevelandTongass National Forest189,447
College FiordChugach National Forest1,130,818
Douglas IslandTongass National Forest28,065
East MitkofTongass National Forest8,795
Fidalgo-GravinaChugach National Forest257,968
Freshwater BayTongass National Forest44,933
Game CreekTongass National Forest54,469
GravinaTongass National Forest37,381
HardingTongass National Forest174,349
HyderTongass National Forest121,723
Juneau UrbanTongass National Forest101,581
Juneau-Skagway IcefieldTongass National Forest1,187,268
KadinTongass National Forest2,035
LindenbergTongass National Forest25,855
MadanTongass National Forest68,553
Mansfield PeninsulaTongass National Forest54,991
North BaranofTongass National Forest314,089
North EtolinTongass National Forest40,993
North KruzofTongass National Forest33,146
North KupreanofTongass National Forest114,660
North RevillaTongass National Forest215,430
North WrangellTongass National Forest8,091
RedoubtTongass National Forest68,347
RevillaTongass National Forest29,298
RhineTongass National Forest23,010
Salmon BayTongass National Forest22,793
Sitka UrbanTongass National Forest112,003
South KruzofTongass National Forest55,193
South RevillaTongass National Forest52,105
SpiresTongass National Forest533,746
Taku-SnettishamTongass National Forest664,928
Tenakee RidgeTongass National Forest20,527
Upper SitukTongass National Forest16,789
Windham-Port HoughtonTongass National Forest161,952
WoronkofskiTongass National Forest11,114
Yakutat ForelandsTongass National Forest323,648
California (4)
AreaForestAcres
Dobie FlatModoc National Forest15,079
Glass MountainInyo National Forest52,867
LavasModoc National Forest25,864
PyramidEldorado National Forest24,347
Montana (1)
AreaForestAcres
Cube Iron - SilcoxLolo National Forest36,998
Nevada (5)
AreaForestAcres
Bunker HillHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest27,569
Four MileHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest24,093
North Shoshone PeakHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest40,667
Table Mtn. - EastHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest87,789
Toiyabe RangeHumboldt-Toiyabe National Forest99,225
Oregon (3)
AreaForestAcres
Hurricane CreekWallowa-Whitman National Forest1,606
Middle SantiamWillamette National Forest7,316
Mt. BaileyUmpqua National Forest18,401
Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mountain Lake Addition B (VA)Jefferson National Forest3,405
Washington (1)
AreaForestAcres
Dry Canyon BreaksColville National Forest4,821
West Virginia (1)
AreaForestAcres
Mountain Lake Addition B (WV)Jefferson National Forest557
References (30)
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  2. American Ornithologists' Union (AOU). 1998. Check-list of North American birds. Seventh edition. American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C. [as modified by subsequent supplements and corrections published in <i>The Auk</i>]. Also available online: http://www.aou.org/.
  3. Baird, P. 1976. Comparative ecology of California and Ring-billed Gulls (<i>Larus californicus</i> and <i>L. delawarensis</i>.)Ph.D. dissertation, University of Montana, Missoula.
  4. Baird, P. A. 1977. Feeding ecology of ring-billed and California gulls (<i>Larus delawarensis</i> and <i>L. californicus</i>). Pacific Seabird Bulletin 4:16-17.
  5. Bent, A.C. 1921. Life histories of North American gulls and terns. U.S. Natl. Mus. Bull. 113. Washington, D.C.
  6. BirdLife International. 2004b. Threatened birds of the world 2004. CD ROM. BirdLife International, Cambridge, UK.
  7. Braune, B. M. 1987. Seasonal aspects of the diet of Bonaparte's gulls (LARUS PHILADELPHIA) in the Quoddy region, New Brunswick, Canada. Auk 104:167-172.
  8. Braune, B. M. 1989. Autumn migration and comments on the breeding range of Bonaparte's gull, LARUS PHILADELPHIA, in eastern North America. Can. Field-Nat. 103:524-530.
  9. Gerrard, J. M., et al. 1993. Water-bird population changes in 1976-1990 on Besnard Lake, Saskatchewan: increases in loons, gulls, and pelicans. Can. J. Zool. 71:1681-1686.
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  17. Pons, J. M., A. Hassanin, and P. A. Crochet. 2005. Phylogenetic relationships within the Laridae (Charadriiformes: Aves) inferred from mitochondrial markers. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 37:686-699.
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  20. Ridgely, R. S. 2002. Distribution maps of South American birds. Unpublished.
  21. Ridgely, R. S. and J. A. Gwynne, Jr. 1989. A Guide to the Birds of Panama. 2nd edition. Princeton University Press, Princeton, USA.
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  28. Thompson, B. C., J. A. Jackson, J. Burger, L. A. Hill, E. M. Kirsch, and J. L. Atwood. 1997. Least Tern (<i>Sterna antillarum</i>). In A. Poole and F. Gill, editors, The Birds of North America, No. 290. Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, and American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, DC. 32 pp.
  29. Van Rossem, A. J. 1933. Terns as destroyers of birds' eggs. Condor 35:49-51.
  30. Zook, J. L. 2002. Distribution maps of the birds of Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Unpublished.