Laughing Gull

About the Laughing Gull

The Laughing Gull is the signature sound of the Texas beach - a trim, medium-sized gull with a jet-black hood, white eye-crescents, and dark red bill in breeding plumage, and the loud, high, laughing "ha-ha-ha-ha" call that gives the species its name. Winter birds lose the hood, keeping a gray smudge behind the eye.

Laughing Gulls are opportunists of the first order: they patrol the surf for small fish and crabs, hawk flying insects over the dunes, follow shrimp boats, steal from pelicans (sometimes standing on the pelican's head to do it), and appear within seconds of any opened bag of chips. Colonies on bay islands are packed, noisy, and constantly quarreling.

In Texas the Laughing Gull is the default gull, abundant along the entire coast year-round and breeding in large island colonies. Any coastal photo session will include them - and their bold, close approach makes them a wonderful subject for flight practice.