Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Laridae
Leucophaeus pipixcan—Franklin's Gull
Although many people think of gulls as being limited to marine
habitats, a number of species will occur inland, including in our region. They
generally are associated with the larger bodies of water and likely are more common
since the construction of such reservoirs as Elephant Butte.
Fig. 1. Ring-billed Gull (Larus delawarensis), one of the gulls that currently enters our region and, according to Ligon (1961), the most common of the various species that do so.
Literature. Ligon 1961.
Sites.
Mid Wisconsin-Holocene: Shelter Cave (Howard and Miller 1933).
Larus sp.
Literature. Howard and Miller 1933.
Sites.
Late Wisconsin/Holocene: Stanton's Cave (Rea and Hargrave 1984).
Literature. Rea and Hargrave 1984.
Last Update: 6 Feb 2013