1. Laughing Gull Larus atricilla Mrs. Tipton Period 8

2. Naming  Laughing Gull's English name is derived from its loud kee-agh call, which sounds like a high- pitched laugh "ha... ha... ha..."

3. Kingdom:Animalia Phylum:Chordata Class:Aves Order:Charadriiformes Suborder:Lari Family:Laridae Genus:Larus Species:atricilla Scientific Classification

4. Birth/Juveniles  Reproduce sexually  Mobile from the moment of hatching  Incubation lasts between 22 and 26 days  Both parents feed the chicks  Young gulls leave the nest around 35-40 days after hatching

5. Adults  They spend their day flying around looking for food  They congregate in large flocks

6.  They are omnivores  They will eat insects, fish, shellfish, and trash  They often steal food from pelicans and other seagulls after they have made a catch Feeding

7.  Live mainly on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States  They spend the winter in the Caribbean Location

8.  Seagulls should not be kept as pets  Seagulls have been known to live as long as 40 years in captivity and as long as 30-35 years in the wild Captivity

9.  They can be aggressive when feeding, and have been seen snatching fish out of pelicans' pouches or stealing food from other birds  Excellent fliers and will soar for long periods  Here is what one looks like after an oil spill off the coast of Louisiana  Interesting Facts

10.  Google images Google images  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laughing_Gull http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laughing_Gull  http://www.spwickstrom.com/seagullie/ http://www.spwickstrom.com/seagullie/  http://birding.about.com/od/Seabirds/p/Laughing- Gull.htm http://birding.about.com/od/Seabirds/p/Laughing- Gull.htm Works Cited