Swallow-tailed Gull
Swallow-tailed GullSwallow-tailed GullSwallow-tailed GullSwallow-tailed Gull

Swallow-tailed Gull

Creagrus furcatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
40–50% · Possible
overall probability at Galápagos Islands
2,863 Verified records at Galápagos Islands
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The swallow-tailed gull (Creagrus furcatus) is an equatorial seabird in the gull family, Laridae. It is the only species in the genus Creagrus, which derives from the Latin Creagra and the Greek kreourgos which means butcher, also from kreas, meat; according to Jobling it would mean "hook for meat" referring to the hooked bill of this species. It was first described by French naturalist and surgeon Adolphe-Simon Neboux in 1846. Its scientific name is originally derived from the Greek word for gull, "Glaros" and via Latin Larus, "gull" and furca "two-tined fork". It spends most of its life flying and hunting over the open ocean. The main breeding location is in the Galápagos Islands, particularly the rocky shores and cliffs of Hood, Tower and Wolf Islands, with lower numbers on most of the other islands. Wikipedia →

40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Swallow-tailed Gull sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 2,863 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
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
Dominican Gull
LC

Dominican Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus dominicanus

<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

20–30
Jan
30–40
Feb
30–40
Mar
40–50
Apr
40–50
May
40–50
Jun
40–50
Jul
40–50
Aug
30–40
Sep
30–40
Oct
30–40
Nov
30–40
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 Galápagos Islands 🇪🇨 Ecuador
40–50%
2 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
3 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Swallow-tailed Gull in Galápagos Islands?

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Swallow-tailed Gull sighting in Galápagos Islands, based on 2,863 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Swallow-tailed Gull in Galápagos Islands?

June has the highest sighting rate for Swallow-tailed Gull in Galápagos Islands in our monthly data.

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