The Birds of Kent

Bonaparte's Gull (Chroicocephalus Philadelphia)

I was lucky to encounter this rare Bonaparte's Gull at RSPB Elmley Isle of Sheppey on Wed the 1-5-2013 it was on the Wellmarsh scrape.
A rare vagrant from North America and Alaska few records of  this bird in the UK and Ireland it is one of the few gulls that will nest in coniferous tree's
The English name of the Bonaparte's Gull honours Charles Lucien Bonaparte, who made important contributions to American Ornithology while an active member of the academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia during the 1820's. The scientific name Philadelphia was given in 1815 by the describer of the species, George Ord of Philadelphia, presumably because he collected his specimen there.


 

 

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