Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla), Lake Cochise (Willcox Twin Lakes), Cochise County

Rob Fray, Richard Fray and Tony Godfrey discovered this Laughing Gull at Willcox on 27 May 2003 when it was photographed by Richard. 

This bird is in worn late first cycle plumage and can easily be confused with a worn first cycle Franklin's Gull that can lack the white in the wing tips as well.  Key points on this bird are the poorly defined grayish hood (crisper black half-hood in Franklin's), gray hindneck and sides of breast (white in Franklin's) and the long drooping bill (shorter with less droop in Franklin's).  Note also in the third photo you can see some of the mottled underwing pattern.  Franklin's has white underwings. 

Laughing Gull is casual in Arizona with about 20 accepted records, including this one.  It is an ABC Review Species.

Submitting photos to AZFO does not constitute reporting a rare bird for consideration as an official record. To ensure that a record becomes official, details or photos of Sketch Details Species should be sent to the Editors of North American Birds and a full report of Review Species should be submitted to the Arizona Bird Committee. Most rare birds are under _documented and subsequent observers of a rarity are always encouraged to submit reports and additional photos, especially for birds that are challenging to identify.

27 May 2003, photo by Richard Fray