The Laughing Gull breeds primarily along the Atlantic coast from Maine to the Caribbean. It may have bred regularly in Atlantic Canada in the first half of the 20th century, but breeding records since then have been uncommon. The abundance of Laughing Gulls in the United States has increased significantly since about 1970, but the Canadian population has likely changed little over this period. The species remains an irregular breeder in Canada.
In the United States, Laughing Gulls must compete with increasing populations of other gulls for food and nesting sites (Burger 2015). The flip side is that Laughing Gulls in the Maritimes may increase as a result of population declines in large gulls like Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls, as well as a warming climate (Chardine 2015). In some areas, the Laughing Gull has been viewed as a nuisance, as it feeds in landfills and airport fields, potentially causing a hazard to aircraft. Due to their disruption, certain populations have been managed in some areas around airports and near colonies of endangered terns (Burger 2015). The species has suffered from exposure to organochlorines and other contaminants (Burger 2015).
Environment and Climate Change Canada and partners have developed Bird Conservation Region Strategies in each of Canada’s Bird Conservation Regions (BCRs). In these strategies, selected species are identified as priorities for one or more of the following reasons:
Select any of the sub-regions below to view the BCR strategy for additional details.
