Bonaparte's Gull

Overview
Bonaparte's Gull: Medium gull with black head and bill, gray back and wings, white underparts and tail. White outer primaries with black trailing edges are visible in flight. Legs are red-orange. Catches fish by wading and diving. Light and direct flight with rapid wing beat, ternlike.

Range and Habitat
Bonaparte's Gull: Breeds across northern North America from western Alaska to Hudson Bay. Spends winters along Atlantic and Pacific coasts and Gulf of Mexico. Preferred habitats include large lakes, rivers, and marshlands.

INTERESTING FACTS
Bonaparte's gulls are named after a nephew of Napoleon, Charles Lucien Bonaparte, who was a leading ornithologist in the 1800's in America and Europe. The scientific name philadelphia was given in 1815 by the describer of the species, George Ord of Philadelphia, presumably because he collected his specimen there. The smallest gull seen over most of North America, it is also the only gull that regularly nests in trees. A group of gulls has many collective nouns, including a "flotilla", "gullery", "screech", "scavenging", and "squabble" of gulls.