Franklin's Gull

Leucophaeus pipixcan (Wagler, 1831)

Laridae — Gulls, Terns, Skimmers

Franklin's Gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan, breeds in prairie marshes of western and northern Alberta, eastern Oregon, south-western Manitoba and north-western Minnesota, and spends the non-breeding season along the western South Pacific coast from Ecuador and the Galápagos to central Chile. It is a gull of North America with a breeding range centred on the Canadian prairies and nearby parts of the United States. The breeding adult has a black hood, white body, darker grey upperparts, black wing tips with a white band beside them, and red bill and legs. In winter the hood is mostly lost. Young birds resemble adults but lack the wing band.

Order
Charadriiformes
Family
Laridae — Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Breeding range
North America: prairie marshes of w, n Alberta and ec Oregon to sw Manitoba (wc, ec Canada) and nw Minnesota
Nonbreeding range
to w South Pacific coast from Ecuador and Galápagos to c Chile
Franklin's Gull
© Carlo Daniel Real Ayala · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Tours where you can spot this bird

12 tours in Canada

Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12-29, 2027
Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12-29, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 18 days

An 18-day self-drive grand tour across southern Saskatchewan, linking boreal forest, major lakes, prairie parks and river valleys during the...

From CAD 15,900
Canada – Saskatchewan Spring Birding Grand Tour: May 11–17, 2027
Canada – Saskatchewan Spring Birding Grand Tour: May 11–17, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 7 days

A seven-day self-drive spring journey from Saskatoon through Saskatchewan wetlands, prairie and grassland parks during the migration and bre...

From CAD 5,850
Best Birding Hotspots of SE Saskatchewan Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada: 2027
Best Birding Hotspots of SE Saskatchewan Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada: 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 4 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 1,490
Porter Lake Birding Tour – 3 great hours with water birds
Porter Lake Birding Tour – 3 great hours with water birds
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3h

A three-hour self-drive tour around Porter Lake, east of Saskatoon, focused on lakeshore waterbirds and seasonal shorebird movements....

From CAD 150
Great Sand Hills Birdwatching Tour from Saskatoon, Kindersley or Leader – 3 new options
Great Sand Hills Birdwatching Tour from Saskatoon, Kindersley or Leader – 3 new options
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 2 days

A private two- or three-day self-drive birding tour through the Great Sand Hills, South Saskatchewan River valley and, on the longer option,...

From CAD 1,290
Canada – Saskatchewan Autumn Birding Grand Tour: September 9 – 18, 2026
Canada – Saskatchewan Autumn Birding Grand Tour: September 9 – 18, 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 10 days

A ten-day Saskatchewan migration tour combining Saskatoon-area wetlands and parks with Prince Albert National Park and Last Mountain Lake....

From CAD 3,650
Canada – Saskatchewan Late-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 24 – 29, 2026
Canada – Saskatchewan Late-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 24 – 29, 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 6 days

A six-day late-summer Saskatchewan birding circuit timed for early migration, with wetlands, prairie and Saskatoon-area parks on the route....

From CAD 1,850
Canada – Saskatchewan Mid-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 3–10, 2027
Canada – Saskatchewan Mid-Summer Birding Grand Tour: August 3–10, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8 days

An eight-day self-drive tour linking Saskatchewan wetlands, prairie, river valleys and the Great Sand Hills as young birds and early migrant...

From CAD 4,750
Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12 – 26, 2026
Canada – Saskatchewan Birding Grand Tour: June 12 – 26, 2026
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 15 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 50
Canada – Southwest Saskatchewan Birding Tour: July 9–16, 2027
Canada – Southwest Saskatchewan Birding Tour: July 9–16, 2027
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 8 days

An eight-day self-drive route through southwest Saskatchewan, combining major shorebird lakes, Cypress Hills, open prairie and Grasslands Na...

From CAD 5,580
Buffalo Pound Park 2026 – Great Birding Day Tour from Moose Jaw, Regina, Swift Current or Saskatoon
Buffalo Pound Park 2026 – Great Birding Day Tour from Moose Jaw, Regina, Swift Current or Saskatoon
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 1 day

A private full-day self-drive tour through Buffalo Pound Provincial Park, combining lake, marsh, woodland and prairie birding....

From CAD 690
Best Birding Hotspots of Souris River 2026 Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada
Best Birding Hotspots of Souris River 2026 Tour from Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw or Weyburn, Canada
Canada / Saskatoon Private tour 3 days

Tours Niche: Birdwatching Tours and Bird Photography Tours Tours Region: Saskatchewan, Canada Tours Duration: Half-Day, Full-Day, and Multi-...

From CAD 1,990