Dominican Gull
Dominican GullDominican GullDominican GullDominican Gull

Dominican Gull

Larus dominicanus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Galápagos Islands
56 Verified records at Galápagos Islands
May Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The kelp gull (Larus dominicanus), also known as the Dominican gull, is a gull that breeds on coasts and islands through much of the Southern Hemisphere. The nominate L. d. dominicanus is the subspecies found around South America, parts of Australia (where it overlaps with the Pacific gull), and New Zealand (where it is known as the black-backed gull, the southern black-backed gull, mollyhawk – particularly the juveniles, or by its Māori name karoro). L. d. vetula (known as the Cape gull) is a subspecies occurring around Southern Africa. The specific name comes from the Dominican Order of friars, who wear black and white habits. Wikipedia →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 56 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Galápagos Islands

Brown Noddy
LC

Brown Noddy

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Anous stolidus

60–70% · Likely
Lava Gull
Endemic

Lava Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucophaeus fuliginosus

40–50% · Likely
Swallow-tailed Gull
LC

Swallow-tailed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Creagrus furcatus

40–50% · Possible
Franklin's Gull
LC

Franklin's Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucophaeus pipixcan

5–10% · With luck
Laughing Gull
LC

Laughing Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucophaeus atricilla

<5% · Rare
Black Skimmer
LC

Black Skimmer

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rynchops niger

Insufficient data
Royal Tern

Royal Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus maximus

<5% · Rare
Sooty Tern

Sooty Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Onychoprion fuscatus

<5% · Rare
Grey Gull

Grey Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucophaeus modestus

<5% · Rare
Arctic Tern
LC

Arctic Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna paradisaea

<5% · Rare
Common Tern
LC

Common Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna hirundo

<5% · Rare
Elegant Tern
NT

Elegant Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus elegans

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
<5
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 Península Valdés 🇦🇷 Argentina
90–100%
2 Abel Tasman National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
70–80%
3 Rakiura National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
70–80%
4 Tierra del Fuego National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
70–80%
5 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
60–70%
6 Fiordland National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
60–70%
7 Namib-Naukluft National Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
50–60%
8 Nahuel Huapi National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
50–60%
9 Garden Route National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
50–60%
10 Arthur's Pass National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
40–50%
11 Table Mountain National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
40–50%
12 Tongariro National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
30–40%
13 Maria Island National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
30–40%
14 Freycinet National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
20–30%
15 Aoraki Mount Cook National Park 🇳🇿 New Zealand
10–20%
16 Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
10–20%
17 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
10–20%
18 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
5–10%
19 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
5–10%
20 Torres del Paine National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
<5%
21 Wilsons Promontory National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
22 Great Otway National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
23 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
24 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
25 Royal National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
<5%
26 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
27 Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park 🇦🇺 Australia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Dominican Gull in Galápagos Islands?

About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 56 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Dominican Gull in Galápagos Islands?

May has the highest sighting rate for Dominican Gull in Galápagos Islands in our monthly data.

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