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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Laridae
  4. ›
  5. Leucophaeus
  6. ›
  7. Franklin's Gull
Franklin's Gull
Photo · (c) Ged Tranter, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Franklin's Gull

Leucophaeus pipixcan(Wagler, 1831)

Updated 21 March 2026

Conservation status: Least ConcernOrigin: Vagrant
Order
CHARADRIIFORMES
Family
Laridae
Genus
Leucophaeus

At a glance

The Franklin's Gull, listed as Least Concern. It can be seen year-round.

Conservation status
Least Concern
Origin
Vagrant
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Very common
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

Franklin's gull is a small gull. The genus name Leucophaeus is from Ancient Greek leukos, "white", and phaios, "dusky". The specific pipixcan is a Nahuatl name for a type of gull. The English common name was given to commemorate the arctic explorer Sir John Franklin, who led an expedition in 1825 on which the type was collected.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Wingspan
85 cm

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Franklin's Gull?

The Franklin's Gull is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Franklin's Gull live in Australia?

The Franklin's Gull is found in Australia, recorded across 14 of Australia’s bioregions.

Breeding range
Prairie marshes of west and north Alberta and east-central Oregon to south-west Manitoba (west-central and east-central Canada) and north-west Minnesota
Non-breeding range
To west South Pacific coast from Ecuador and Galápagos to central Chile