With windswept coastlines and expansive inland wetlands, Oklahoma provides rich habitat for a diversity of gull and tern species. During the warmer months, the skies fill with the raucous cries of these agile, adaptable birds as thousands converge to breed and forage across the state. From the bold, opportunistic herring gull patrolling lake shores to the graceful acrobatics of the insect-hawking black tern, Oklahoma’s gulls and terns evoke images of wilderness, resilience, and freedom. Join us as we explore eight of the most common and iconic gull and tern species found gracing Oklahoma’s waters and skies during their seasonal residence.
| Gull Type | Size | Distinguishing Features |
|---|---|---|
| Ring-Billed Gull | Medium | Yellow bill with black ring, white head and body, gray wings |
| Herring Gull | Large | Pink legs, yellow bill with red spot, mottled brown juveniles |
| Laughing Gull | Small-Medium | Black head, red bill, barking vocalizations |
| Franklin’s Gull | Small | Black head and red feet in breeding plumage, inland range |
| Bonaparte’s Gull | Small | Black head and red feet in breeding plumage, dainty appearance |
| Caspian Tern | Large | Red bill, crest, diving for fish, largest tern |
| Forster’s Tern | Medium | Orange bill with black tip, interior wetland breeder |
| Black Tern | Small | Dark plumage, floating nests, aerial insect feeder |
Table of Contents
1. Ring-Billed Gull
The ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) is one of the most common gulls found in Oklahoma. With a widespread breeding range across Canada and the northern United States, large numbers of ring-billed gulls migrate through Oklahoma during spring and fall migrations. They are medium-sized gulls with a wingspan of around 50 inches. Adults have white heads, a gray back and wings, yellow legs and feet, and a yellow bill with a noticeable black ring around it. Juveniles are mottled brown and take several years to get their full adult plumage.
Ring-billed gulls are opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything – fish, insects, earthworms, grains, seeds, scraps from landfills and trash cans. They forage in large flocks in fields, parking lots, landfills, and along lakes and rivers. During breeding season, they nest in colonies near water across Canada and the northern U.S. The female lays 2-3 speckled olive brown eggs in a nest made of vegetation. Both parents incubate the eggs for around 3 weeks until hatching. The chicks are semi-precocial and can leave the nest within a couple days to be brooded and fed by the parents. After around 6 weeks, the juveniles are able to fly and start to become independent.
Ring-billed gulls are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Their populations grew substantially in the 20th century due to their ability to adapt to man-made habitats like landfills for feeding. However, a 2019 study showed the ring-billed gull population declining by 60% in recent decades. Habitat loss and competition with other gull species may be contributing factors. Nonetheless, ring-billed gulls remain one of the most numerous and widely distributed gulls across North America. Their large flocks and noisy calls make them a familiar presence across Oklahoma.
2. Herring Gull
The herring gull (Larus argentatus) is a large, common gull that can be found across most of Oklahoma. It has a very wide global distribution across North America, Europe, and Asia. In North America, herring gulls breed predominantly in Canada and the northern U.S., and migrate south into the U.S. during winter months.
Herring gulls are large birds with a wingspan of around 55 inches. Adults are white with gray backs and wings, yellow legs, and a yellow bill with a red spot. Their heads are white with streaking during winter and pure white during breeding season. Juveniles are mottled brown all over. Herring gulls get their full adult plumage by around 4 years old.
These are omnivorous, opportunistic feeders that eat fish, insects, worms, eggs, small mammals, grain, scraps, and more. They forage in flight, in fields, and along shorelines. During breeding season, they nest in large colonies near water across Canada, Alaska, and the northern Great Lakes states. The female lays 2-3 brown speckled eggs in a nest lined with vegetation. Both parents incubate the eggs for around 4 weeks and care for the chicks after hatching.
Herring gull populations increased dramatically in the 20th century thanks to their ability to adapt to human activity and thrive on our food waste. But some populations have declined in recent decades due to factors like predation, declining fish stocks, and competition from other gulls. Nonetheless they remain abundant across their widespread range. Their loud, familiar “laughing” calls make them a well-known presence across Oklahoma.
3. Laughing Gull
The laughing gull (Leucophaeus atricilla) is a small-to-medium sized gull named for its distinct vocalizations that sound like laughing or barking. It is a common summer visitor to Oklahoma as it migrates north from its coastal wintering grounds.
Laughing gulls have a wingspan of around 40 inches. Adults have a black head, white body and tail, gray back and wings, and black legs and feet. Their bill is black with a red spot near the tip. Juveniles are gray-brown overall with some black on the head. It takes around 2 years for juveniles to get their full adult plumage.
These sociable gulls breed in large coastal colonies from Texas to North Carolina. Nests consist of scrapes lined with vegetation and contain 3-5 brown speckled eggs. Both parents share incubation duties for 22-25 days until hatching. Chicks are precocial and leave the nest shortly after hatching while parents feed and brood them. After around 6 weeks, the juveniles fledge and start to become independent.
Laughing gulls are omnivores and opportunistic feeders. They eat fish, marine invertebrates, insects, worms, eggs, grain and more. Their diet consists of more insects and terrestrial prey during the breeding season when inland. In Oklahoma, look for them feeding in plowed fields, parking lots, landfills and along lakes and rivers.
Though still common, laughing gull numbers have declined across their range since the late 20th century due to factors like habitat loss and predation. Nonetheless, they remain a familiar summer sight across Oklahoma, where birders enjoy their unique vocalizations and graceful flight.
4. Franklin’s Gull
Franklin’s gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) is a small, graceful gull with a predominantly inland range across the Great Plains and western states during migration and breeding season. Though they nest in Canada and the northern Great Plains, large numbers pass through Oklahoma each spring and fall.
These gulls have a wingspan of around 32 inches. Adult breeding plumage features a black head, white underside, gray wings and back, and bright red legs and feet. Their bill is orange with a black tip. In winter, the head becomes mostly white with dark eyepatches. Juveniles are gray-brown overall, taking around 2 years to reach adult plumage.
Franklin’s gulls breed in large colonies in marshes across the Canadian prairies and northern U.S. Nests consist of floating mats of vegetation, often in cattail marshes. The female lays 3-4 eggs that are incubated by both parents for around 3 weeks. Precocial chicks hatch covered in down and wander from the nest while being brooded and fed by parents. After one month, the juveniles fledge.
These sociable gulls forage largely on insects, making aerial flycatcher-like maneuvers to catch prey. They also eat aquatic invertebrates, fish, seeds, eggs, and more. During migration, thousands may flock together to feed in fields and wetlands or rest on lakes or rivers. Their high-pitched calls ring out as they gracefully wheel and soar overhead.
Though still numerous, Franklin’s gull populations have declined by an estimated 60% over the last 40 years due to habitat loss on their breeding grounds. But they continue to be a stunning summer spectacle across Oklahoma.
5. Bonaparte’s Gull
With their delicate looks and agile flight, Bonaparte’s gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) is a favorite among birdwatchers during migration through Oklahoma. They breed primarily in Canada and Alaska and winter along the U.S. coasts and as far south as Mexico and the Caribbean.
These small gulls have a wingspan of around 32 inches. Breeding adults are striking with a black head, white underside, gray back and wings, and bright red legs and feet. Their bill is black. In winter, the head becomes mostly white. Juveniles are gray-brown overall. Bonaparte’s gulls take around 2 years to reach their full adult plumage.
They nest in large colonies near water across the boreal forest regions of Canada and Alaska. Nests consist of depressions lined with pine needles, grass and moss on the ground, often hidden in low shrubs or downed trees. The female lays 2-4 brown-spotted olive eggs that are incubated by both parents for around 3 weeks. Precocial chicks hatch fully mobile and move away from the nest while parents feed and care for them.
These gulls primarily eat insects, larvae, fish, and other aquatic prey, often dipping down to pluck food from the water’s surface in graceful flight. They also forage in fields and along shorelines. During migration, thousands may flock together and perform elaborate aerial displays. Though populations are declining in parts of their range, Bonaparte’s gulls remain numerous across North America.
6. Caspian Tern
Though they resemble gulls in appearance and habitat, terns belong to the separate family Laridae. The Caspian tern (Hydroprogne caspia) is Oklahoma’s largest tern and one of the most widely-distributed terns in the world. Small numbers breed here while others pass through during migration.
These large terns have a wingspan of around 55 inches – matching the size of some of the larger gull species. Adults have a black cap and nape, pale gray underside, darker gray back and wings, black legs, and a large orange-red bill. Their black cap becomes mottled in winter. Juveniles are gray-brown overall and slowly gain adult plumage over several years.
Caspian terns nest in loose colonies on sandy or rocky islands and shorelines with sparse vegetation across North America and Eurasia. In Oklahoma, they nest sporadically along major rivers and lakes. The nest consists of a shallow scrape lined with pebbles, shells or debris. 1-3 eggs are laid and incubated by both parents for around 4 weeks until hatching. Chicks are precocial and wander from the nest to be brooded and fed by parents. After around 6 weeks, the juveniles fledge.
These terns primarily eat fish, diving from heights of up to 30 feet to plunge into the water. They also forage along shorelines for invertebrates. They often call loudly with a harsh “kar-ick.” Their specialized adaptations like razor-sharp bills make them powerful hunters, able to take fish up to a foot in length. Caspian tern populations declined in the 20th century due to habitat loss and human disturbance but have rebounded in many regions.
7. Forster’s Tern
Forster’s tern (Sterna forsteri) is a slender, graceful tern that breeds across prairie marshes of the Great Plains and Canadian interior. They are a common summer resident in Oklahoma, nesting in colonies in wetlands across the state.
These medium-sized terns have a wingspan of around 34 inches. Breeding adults have pale gray backs and wings, white undersides, black caps and napes, orange-red legs and feet, and bright orange bills with black tips. In winter, the black cap becomes patchy as white feathers emerge. Juveniles are brownish-gray overall.
Forster’s terns nest in single pairs or small colonies in marshes across the interior of North America. In Oklahoma, they nest in wetland depressions, building up mounds of vegetation. The female lays 2-4 eggs that are incubated by both parents for around 3 weeks. Chicks hatch downy and precocial, soon leaving the nest while being fed and cared for by parents. After 4-5 weeks, the juveniles fledge.
These terns eat small fish, insects, amphibians, and more, diving down to grab prey from shallow water or plucking food from the surface while hovering. They have a sharp, quick call often sounding like “kir-ik.” Forster’s tern numbers declined in the early 20th century but rebounded after protected status and management of marsh nesting habitat. They are considered common and widespread again across the Great Plains.
8. Black Tern
The black tern (Chlidonias niger) is a small, sleek tern that nests and forages across Oklahoma’s marshes and wetlands during summer months. They migrate all the way to coastal South America for the winter.
These terns have a wingspan of around 25 inches. Adults in breeding plumage are dark gray overall with black heads, wings, caps andbellies contrasting with white undertail coverts. Their legs are black and their bills are black with yellow at the base. In winter, their plumage becomes darker overall with white cheek patches. Juveniles are brownish-gray with some dark markings.
Black terns nest in loose colonies over water across the northern U.S. and Canada. In Oklahoma, they use floating nests in marshes, wetlands and ponds. The female lays 2-4 eggs in a shallow depression lined with aquatic vegetation. Parents share incubation duties for around 3 weeks until the precocial chicks hatch. Chicks soon leave the nest to be brooded and fed by parents, fledging after about 4 weeks.
These terns hawk insects on the wing, hovering and plunging down to grab prey from just above water’s surface. They also eat small fish and aquatic invertebrates. With buoyant, graceful flight, black terns are a delight to observe during summer across Oklahoma. However, their populations have declined over 50% in the last few decades primarily due to habitat loss. Ongoing conservation efforts focused on protecting wetlands aim to recover black tern numbers.