Laughing Gull

Breeding Laughing Gulls are distinctive among the summer gulls of eastern North America in that they have completely black heads. They are predominately a southern coastal species but do nest along the coast as far north as Maine, typically in large, isolated colonies on offshore islands. None breed in New Hampshire, where Laughing Gulls are typically found in late summer as post-breeding and early fall visitors. Many of the birds seen at this time are young birds dispersing from nesting sites, and these lack the characteristic black hood of adult Laughing Gulls. Adults will still show this plumage in July and August, but any that linger into late September or October are likely to have molted into a non-breeding plumage that’s similar to the younger birds. Laughing Gulls are always outnumbered by our more common species but watch for them along the immediate coast along with Ring-billed and American Herring Gulls. They are almost never seen inland, even as close as Great Bay.