Franklin's Gull - Leucophaeus pipixcan The Franklin's Gull is a
small gull of wetlands in the interior of North America. In
breeding plumage, this species has a black hood and a dark red
bill with a black mark near the tip. The dark gray of the back
extends to the upperpart of the wings. The underparts of the
bird, including the wings, are white. The hindneck, the area
between the black hood and the gray back, is also white. The
underparts are sometimes tinged with pink, a coloration that
earned the species the early name of Rosy or Prairie Dove
(Burger and Gochfeld 1994). The legs are brownish-black or dusky
(Burger and Gochfeld 1994). Broad white arcs directly above and
below the black eye are apparent during the breeding season. The
gray wings are tipped with a white band, then a black margin,
and ultimately with large white primary ends. In non-breeding
plumage, the species loses the redness in the bill, and it
becomes black. The black hood is reduced to an area from the eye
to the back of the head, revea