A Franklin's gull (Larus pipixcan) in southeastern Peru
Gerfaut
1980
Journal Article
70
403-404
animals birds Franklin's Gull Larus pipixcan Cocococha Reserva Nacional Tambopata Parque Nacional Bahuaja-Sonene Bolivia animal behavior migration Madre de Dios Bibliography
On November 12, 1979 a Franklin's gull (Larus pipixcan) was observed on Lake Cocococha, in the TRZ. The gull, which was still immature, showed the typical plumage of early winter. During the sighting, which lasted about 15 minutes, it flew up and down over the lake, and finally landed on the water. Then, becoming disturbed, it took off, flying very high, and flew off in a northerly direction, towards the river Tambopata, which was separated from Cocococha by about 3 km of primary pluvial forest. In South America, Larus pipixcan is known as a very common winter resident on the Pacific coast. There are no previous records of its occurrence in Amazonia, and the only other record of its presence east of the Andes was a report of three birds seen in December 1975 in Comodoro Rivadavia (Santa Cruz, Argentina). There are, however, records of this gull in various places in the interior of Peru (Lakes Titicaca and Junin, Peruvian-Bolivian border area, and other places). A stray Franklin gull could reach the south east of Peru by at least two routes. Since it is able to effect transcontinental migrations in North America, it is possible that it may also use an interior route in South America; it is most probable that this would be a transandean route. This supposition is based on the abundance of the species in the west of South America, and on various sightings in the Peru-bolivian Andes.