Possible Franklin's gull - Manukau Harbour

[Neil Fitzgerald]

From Cornell Lab's All About Birds

Laughing Gull is slightly larger, with longer wings and bill. Laughing lacks a white band between the black primaries and the gray rest of wing, but may have small white spots at the tips of the primaries. In winter plumage, Laughing Gull has a lighter gray and less extensive patch on the back of the head, resembling smudging rather than a half hood. Tail is all white, lacking the gray center of Franklin's.

[Ian Southey]

Trevor

As a person who didn't know anything about global gulls the ID was much easier than I expected. Black head, broad white trailing edge to the wing and same size or smaller than a Black-billed Gull is pretty well enough to give you Franklin's Gull. Laughing Gull is too big and has a longer looking bill and Grey Gull doesn't have a black head and it's too big too. From field characters I thought Relict Gull was a contender but it too is too big and probably too pale. Now that the primary moult is progressing you can see the typical wing pattern of an adult Franklin's Gull emerging.

It's a pretty distinctive bird even without the black head it has noticeably long legs, the bill is a little decurved and the back is a very definitely darker shade of grey than our small gulls

Ian

[THWorthy]

That all is very convincing! So is it known how these birds turn up in NZ and Australia - along a mid Pacific route following the trade winds? Or are there so many of them that they cn reach the south Atlantic and get blown east.

[Peter Frost]

Franklin's Gull has been recorded at least a dozen times in southern Africa, over 40 times in Europe, and up to 2004, 12 times in Australia, and a few times in East Asia, as far as I can find out, so the species does wander.

Trevor, you surely didn't mean Grey Gull, L. modestus, did you? That species is grey all over. I presume you meant Andean Gull, L. serranus. The hood on that species is brown and shaped more like that of a Black-headed Gull (i.e. does not extend down onto the back of the head).

[Ian Southey]

In books Franklin's Gulls are said to migrate south through the Great Plains, through Texas and eastern Mexico, crossing to the west coast in southern Mexico and wintering on the coast between Peru and Chile and offshore to the Humboldt Current. The post breeding migration seems to be mainly from August to early November so I'd guess it's crossed the Pacific. Maybe a migrant off course but I'd guess that at least some of the young birds like this one might stay in the non-breeding range all year so maybe it was just a bit screwed up.

Ian

[Suzi]

Did anyone see the Franklin's Gull at Takanini over the weekend ? No reports here !??

Or did anyone go and look for it and not find it ??

Graham you're very quiet

Suzi

[Neil Fitzgerald]

I might go tomorrow morning, so also keen for any weekend updates.
Thanks,

[iain johnson]

Franklins Gull was present in Bruce Pulman Park, mid afternoon on Sunday, initially in the car park, then flew over to the fields for a feed. Two black billed gulls over as well.

Best be quick tho as the twitching big guns are heading to auckland this week!!!

BTW - apologies for the late posting/ suppression of this intelligence, i had to get the information 'cleared' in case i compromised future birding activities that may or may not be taking place!

[Marilyn]

The Franklin's Gull was at Bruce Pulman Park this evening [Monday] 5.15 pm. It was wandering about the field on the left as you go in the gate. It kept walking away from me across the field but I just managed to get a recognizable photo. It wasn't anywhere to be seen mid morning, so seems to be keeping to it's pattern.

[Brent Stephenson]

Well back in the country for less than 2 hours and the bird was in the bag! Got a taxi from the Domestic Terminal at Auckland Airport and got to Bruce Pulman Park at 1235. The taxi driver must have thought I was completely bonkers, but very obliging and as we pulled into the corner of the carpark by the netball courts overlooking the ponds, the bird flew across the pond towards us! Has to be the easiest twitch I have ever done (perhaps because I wasn't attempting it with Tim!) and even the taxi driver saw the bird! The bird then landed near the small island on the pond closest to the entrance road, sat there for a few minutes before flying a circuit, and then relanding. Having snapped about 120 images, the mission was complete and the bird in the bag, so headed back to the Airport. Now all I have to do is get home!
Very happy, good work on refinding it guys!
Cheers,