Birds of Central Oklahoma

All birds Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers

Bonaparte's Gull, winter
Winter Photo by DickDaniels (http://carolinabirds.org/). CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Bonaparte's Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Here November to February.

Recorded by Rachel Hudson. CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, via xeno-canto, trimmed and volume evened out.

Look for

  1. A small white and gray gull with a thin black bill.
  2. In winter, when it's here, its head is white with a dark spot behind the eye. The black hood you see in some pictures is its summer look.
  3. When it flies, look for a big white triangle on the outer part of each wing.

A little about it

Bonaparte's Gulls are winter birds here. Look for them from November to February. In winter, flocks move around a lot to follow their food.

This gull looks light and floaty when it flies. It often hunts while it flies. It may dive into the water or dip down to grab food at the top. It catches bugs in the air too. It eats small fish and shrimp as well.

Big gulls often eat trash at dumps. Bonaparte's Gulls hardly ever do.

They nest far up north, where the forest meets lakes and bogs. The mother lays about 3 eggs, and both parents feed the chicks. If someone comes near the nest, the parents fly around it and call out.

Fun fact

Big gulls nest on the ground. Bonaparte's Gulls build their stick nests up in evergreen trees, most often 4 to 15 feet off the ground.

When it's here

Taller bars mean more sightings. Most often seen in November.

More winter birds

How big

SparrowRobinCrowGoose

11 to 14 inches, with wings about 3 feet across. A bit bigger than a robin. It's one of the smallest gulls.

Where to look

Lakes and rivers, out over the water. Flocks also gather at the ponds where towns clean up dirty water, maybe to eat the bugs there.

  • On or by water
  • Flying overhead

People have spotted it at Lake Hefner, Arcadia Lake, Lake Overholser.

Could it be something else?

  • Ring-billed Gull

    A bigger gull with a yellow bill that has a black ring around it. Its wingtips are black with white spots. A Bonaparte's Gull is much smaller, with a thin black bill.

  • Franklin's Gull

    Another small gull. In fall, young Franklin's Gulls have a neat dark band on the head, like a scarf. A Bonaparte's Gull in winter has just a dark spot behind the eye.

More photos

Bonaparte's Gull, breeding
Breeding Photo by Wildreturn. CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Where these facts come from