Laughing Gull

Description:

Laughing Gulls are medium-sized gulls with fairly long wings and long legs that impart a graceful look when they are flying or walking. They have stout, fairly long bills. Laughing Gulls are medium gray above and white below. Summer adults have a crisp black hood, white arcs around the eye, and a reddish bill. In winter, the hood becomes a blurry gray mask on a white head. The legs are reddish black to black. Immatures are much browner and more subtly patterned than adults; they take 2-3 years to gain adult plumage. These gulls started running and taking flight as we approached.

Habitat:

The beach at Sea Rim Park. It consists of 4141.1 acres of Gulf coast beach and marshland in Jefferson County, 10 miles west of Sabine Pass.

Notes:

Sea Rim State Park is a 4,141-acre (1,676 ha) state park in southeast Texas. The park is located on the Gulf of Mexico in southern Jefferson County, south of Port Arthur and just west of Sabine Pass. The park was closed for several years due to extensive damage from Hurricanes Rita (2005) and Ike (2008). The park has recently re-opened but currently has very limited resources. Texas Parks and Wildlife was provided $2 million for the recovery of Sea Rim by the 81st Legislature.