Bird of the Month: Bonaparte's Gull

Wikimedia Commons

If you call a gull of any sort a "seagull," you may just have to answer to Mary Birdsong herself. Among the many varieties of gull that call Erie home, you shan't find a seagull (in name) among them – but keep an eye out for the charming Bonaparte's Gull, a smaller-sized, hooded shorebird that nests in trees rather than on the ground like most other gulls.

Let's get this out of the way first: although I've been dismissed as pedantic for saying this, there is no such thing as a seagull. There are many types of gulls, but none of them have that name. Seagull is a generic term applied erroneously to all gull-like birds that "hang around the shoreline and parking lots."

If you start looking more carefully, you'll find a fascinating set of birds that range in size from having a wingspan of 65 inches (Great Black-backed Gull) to a wingspan of 24 inches (Little Gull).

Now on to the main feature.

One particularly interesting species in the gull group is the Bonaparte's Gull (banding code BOGU), named for Charles Lucien Bonaparte – nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte – who made important contributions to American ornithology as a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia during the 1820s.

It is one of the smaller gulls, with a wingspan of only 33 inches. And when Bonaparte's Gulls (called Boneys by birders) are in breeding plumage, the head is all black, which is referred to as a hood. It makes for a stunning bird.

The compact 13-inch-long bird is white on the underside and in the tail, gray on the back (called the mantle), with black tips on their wings. In winter time, when they are here in Erie, they have a dark "ear spot" behind their eyes rather than the full hood of their breeding plumage. Their bills are black and their legs are a reddish pink. Birds that have not reached maturity have darker feathers along the back, the trailing edge of the wings, and the tail.

Most gull species nest on the ground (or rooftops in urban areas) but, interestingly, Bonaparte's Gulls nest in trees and are the only gulls to do so. Another fascinating fact is that in the non-breeding season BOGUs feed on fish like many other gulls, but during breeding – since they nest away from the shoreline – they subsist almost exclusively on insects. Nesting happens well north of Erie.

As winter draws nigh look for Bonaparte's Gulls around Presque Isle and in the bay when there is open water to fish. Other great spots for good looks are the North Pier at Presque Isle and the South Pier at the foot of Port Access Road on the mainland. They will be joined by many other wintering gull species like the Black-backed and Little gulls I mentioned above, as well as large numbers of our resident Ring-billed and American Herring gulls. In fact, winter is prime gull season here as long as things don't freeze over.

So, bundle up for a visit to some point along the bay and look for large rafts of gulls out in the open water. Compare the sizes looking for the smallest ones that fly with faster wing beats than larger gulls. Later in the spring, you may even see one with its hood developing as it molts into breeding plumage. Say hello to these travelers who think of Erie as a great spot to winter!

Mary Birdsong is the lead shorebird monitor for Erie Bird Observatory. Learn more at eriebirdobservatory.org. Mary can be reached at mbirdsong@eriereader.com