Washburn et al. • BREEDING OF LAUGHING GULLS IN NEW YORK STATE 
527 
complex (40 38' N, 73 47' W) in the Jamaica 
Bay Unit of the Gateway National Recreation 
Area in Queens County (Fig. 2). This colony 
increased exponentially to an estimated 7,629 
nests in 1990 (Brown el al. 2001). The Laughing 
Gull nesting colony in Jamaica Bay (several 
islands in Jamaica Bay in primarily intertidal 
Icivv or high salt marsh) decreased by 83% during 
1992-2008 to an estimated 1,280 nests in 2008 
'Washburn et al. 2009). This nesting colony is 
mlluenced by an integrated gull strike manage¬ 
ment program conducted on the adjacent John F. 
kilned} International Airport (Washburn et al. 
- I||, 8). and loss of nesting habitat due to severe 
marsh erosion and tidal Hooding (Gornitz et al. 
-M2. Hartig et al. 2002. Bogcr el al. 2012). 
Over 99.9% of the Laughing Gulls nesting in 
York was associated with the nesting colony 
'"Jamaica Bay during 1978-2007. Six additional 
heeding records of Laughing Gulls were found 
°ULside of Jamaica Bay (Table I. Fig. 2). These 
Mtes were abandoned by nesting Laughing Gulls 
a,tcr | or 2 yrs as no additional Laughing Gull 
nesls 'vere found during surveys in subsequent 
y«rs (Sommers et al. 1994. 1996, 2001). 
We found no Laughing Gull nests or evidence 
01 Laughing Gulls breeding during field surveys 
a| 66 potential locations we surveyed. Seventy- 
hV() Laughing Gulls (66 adults in breeding 
Plumage and 6 subadults) were observed during 
'he surveys, ranging from 0 to 30 individual gulls 
Per survey location. Laughing Gulls were observed 
loafing or perched (47%), feeding (29%), and 
Hying (24%). but we did not observe any activity 
that suggested these birds were nesting or near a 
breeding colony. 
Fifty-three of 66 locations surveyed (80%) 
contained salt marsh habitat, of which 44 were 
classified as low salt marshes (dominated by 
Spurtina altemiflora) and nine sites were high salt 
marsh habitat (predominantly S. patens). Common 
reed (Pliragmites australis) had invaded 12 of the 
66 (18%) salt marsh areas, degrading their 
ecological value and making them relatively 
useless for nesting Laughing Gulls. 
DISCUSSION 
Review of historical information, peer-re¬ 
viewed literature, reports, and unpublished infor¬ 
mation confirms the Laughing Gull was a 
breeding bird in New York State (more specifi¬ 
cally on Long Island.) during 1978-2008. Our 
findings suggest the Laughing Gull nesting colony 
in Jamaica Bay was likely the only nesting colony 
in New York in 2008. 
Laughing Gull populations are relatively stable 
or increasing within the Northeast region and 
nationally in the United States, based on popula¬ 
tion trends from the BBS (Sauer et al. 2011) and 
nest counts within coastal states from New Jersey 
to Maine (summarized in Washburn et al. 2009). 
The overall population index for Laughing Gulls 
in the United States and in the Northeastern/Mid- 
Atlantic Region during 1966-2009 showed mean 
