Birds of the Upper Cumberland Region: Species Accounts

Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)

Abundance:  Rare (8 records in 2 Kentucky counties).

Status: Transient during fall (6 records) and Winter Visitor (2 records); photograph (see link below).

Regional High Count: 32 (22 October 2007; Barren County, Kentucky; David L. Roemer).

Information on Records: 

10 October 1990 (1 immature) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Jackie B. Elmore, Sr.; Stamm and Monroe 1991a).

28 December 1998 (3) Glasgow CBC, Barren County, Kentucky (fide Wayne M. Mason, CBC compiler; Ferrell 1999).

4 November 2002 (2) Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer; Busroe 2003a).

31 October 2006 (2--1 adult and 1 first-year) Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2007a).

1 December 2006 (1--first-year) Fishing Creek Recreation Area, Lake Cumberland, Pulaski County, Kentucky (Roseanna M. Denton photo; Palmer-Ball and McNeeley 2007b).

22/23/2426 October 2007 (32/27/3/4) Barren River Reservoir, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer/David L. Roemer/David L. Roemer/David L. Roemer, T. Aaron Hulsey unpubl. data), photo (David L. Roemer; 23 October 2007).

4/11 November 2008 (1/1) Barren River Reservoir, Barren/Allen counties, Kentucky (David L. Roemer/T. Aaron Hulsey unpubl. data).

28 September/13 October-1 November 2009 (2/1-5--all first-cycle) Barren River Reservoir/Barren River Reservoir State Resort Park, Barren County, Kentucky (David L. Roemer/David L. Roemer et al. unpubl. data).

Regional Extreme Dates:

    Fall: 28 September 2009 (2 first-cycle; Barren County, Kentucky; David L. Roemer)-28 December 1998 (3; Barren County, Kentucky; fide Wayne M. Mason; Ferrell 1999).

    Spring: No records.

YardWatch Results 2003 and 2004: No registrations.

Habitat: Usually near water, but this gull tends to be found away from water more than most other small gulls that might occur within the Region.

Remarks: 

Counties with Observations (boldfaced):

To see a map (Figure 1) displaying the data in the table above, click on the boldfaced word in this sentence.

Literature Cited