American Herring Gull
American Herring GullAmerican Herring GullAmerican Herring GullAmerican Herring Gull

American Herring Gull

Larus smithsonianus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
5–10% · Rare
overall probability at Channel Islands National Park
330 Verified records at Channel Islands National Park
November Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The American herring gull (Larus smithsonianus or Larus argentatus smithsonianus), also known as the Arctic herring gull or Smithsonian gull, is a large gull that breeds in North America, where it is treated by the American Ornithological Society as distinct from the European herring gull (Larus argentatus). Adults are white with gray back and wings, black wingtips with white spots, and pink legs. Immature birds are gray-brown and are darker and more uniform than European herring gulls, with a darker tail. As is common with other gulls, they are colloquially referred to simply as seagulls. It occurs in a variety of habitats including coasts, lakes, rivers, parking lots and garbage dumps. Its broad diet includes invertebrates, fish, and many other items. Wikipedia →

5–10% of wildlife watchers report a American Herring Gull sighting in Channel Islands National Park, based on 330 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Channel Islands National Park

Western Gull
LC

Western Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus occidentalis

70–80% · Very likely
California Gull
LC

California Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus californicus

30–40% · Possible
Heermann's Gull
NT

Heermann's Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus heermanni

20–30% · Possible
Ring-billed Gull
LC

Ring-billed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus delawarensis

20–30% · Possible
Glaucous-winged Gull
LC

Glaucous-winged Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus glaucescens

5–10% · Rare
Short-billed Gull

Short-billed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus brachyrhynchus

<5% · Rare
Iceland Gull
LC

Iceland Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus glaucoides

<5% · Rare
Lesser Black-backed Gull
LC

Lesser Black-backed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus fuscus

Insufficient data
Elegant Tern
NT

Elegant Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus elegans

20–30% · Possible
Forster's Tern
LC

Forster's Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna forsteri

10–20% · With luck
Royal Tern

Royal Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus maximus

10–20% · With luck
Caspian Tern
LC

Caspian Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hydroprogne caspia

10–20% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

10–20
Jan
5–10
Feb
10–20
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
5–10
Oct
10–20
Nov
5–10
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
70–80%
2 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
60–70%
3 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
4 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
5 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
6 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
7 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
8 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
9 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
10 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
11 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
12 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
13 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
14 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
15 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
16 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
17 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
18 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
19 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
21 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
22 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
23 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
24 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
25 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
26 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
27 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
28 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
29 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
30 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
31 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
32 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
34 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
35 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
36 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
37 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
38 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
39 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
40 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
41 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
42 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
43 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
44 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
45 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
46 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
47 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a American Herring Gull in Channel Islands National Park?

About 5% of wildlife watchers report a American Herring Gull sighting in Channel Islands National Park, based on 330 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see American Herring Gull in Channel Islands National Park?

November has the highest sighting rate for American Herring Gull in Channel Islands National Park in our monthly data.

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