The Bonaparte's Gull is the only gull that regularly nests in trees.The English name of the Bonaparte's Gull honors Charles Lucien Bonaparte, who made important contributions to American ornithology while an active member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia during the 1820s.
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.During the breeding season,
the Bonaparte's Gull feeds mainly on insects, often catching them on the wing