Note the Forster's and Common Tern behind it; they're not always this easy to separate from each other either.
The assumption looking at the bird at rest would be that it's not a full adult since a full adult should have a full hood. In flight we can see a couple black feathers in the wing coverts, indicating retained immature feathers for this 1st summer bird.
If this bird had a more confusing head pattern it would be harder to separate from Laughing Gull. The flight pattern would still be helpful though. In flight we see that the white trailing edge of the wing bleeds into the primaries such that the black primary tips are somewhat separated from the gray of the rest of the wing.
The underwing also shows extensive white at the bases of the primaries.
Here's another view of the underwing. Of interest is that P10, the outer-most primary, is a retained feather from last fall, with the black (which extends the length of the feather) faded paler than the black of the feathers new this spring (note that Franklin's is the only gull to moult flight feathers in spring and fall).
Here's another view of the underwing. Of interest is that P10, the outer-most primary, is a retained feather from last fall, with the black (which extends the length of the feather) faded paler than the black of the feathers new this spring (note that Franklin's is the only gull to moult flight feathers in spring and fall).
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