GULLS 



(60) Larus Philadelphia 



(Ord.) 



BONAPARTE'S GULL. Ad. in 

 summer — Plumage as shown. Notice 

 that the mantle is paler than that 

 of the previous hooded gulls, the bill 

 is smaller and black, the feet are flesh 

 color. In winter the plumage is 

 similar except that the head is white, 

 washed with gray. Im. — Like the 

 wijiter adult except for a dusky spot 

 on the auriculars, more or less dusky 

 on the lesser coverts and a black, 

 subterminal tail-band. L., 14.00; 

 W., io.5o;T.,4JDo; B., 1.15. Nest — 

 Of sticks and grasses on elevated 

 ground, on stumps, in bushes or low 

 trees; the three eggs are pale greenish- 

 brown, spotted with umber and Ulac. 



Range — Breeds in the interior of 

 Canada. Winters from Me. to Fla. 

 and on the Gulf coast. 



reeds, so that they are barely raised above water. They 

 are, in fact, httle better constructed or placed than the homes 

 of grebes which often nest in the same marshes. 



Few, if any other, species have the beauty and grace of 

 BONAPARTE'S GULLS. Ha\dng a perfect form, well 

 proportioned in every respect, they combine the agility of 

 terns with the charming flight peculiar to all gulls. 



These gulls are unusual in several respects: They are 

 one of a very few species that nest in trees or bushes; the 

 majority of their nests are found to be between four and 

 ten feet above ground, often as high as twenty feet. Their 

 preference seems to be evergreen trees when these are to 

 be found in the marshy, wooded districts that they like. 

 Although Bonaparte's Gulls spend the winter in large num- 

 bers off the Atlantic coast, from Maine to Florida, none of 

 them nest east of Hudson Bay, but migrate diagonally 

 across to Keewatin, Mackenzie and Alaska for this purpose. 



In winter their food consists of small fish, mollusks and dead 



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