Swallow-tailed Gull

Swallow-tailed Gull

Creagrus furcatus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
<5% · Rare
overall probability at Paracas National Reserve
6 Verified records at Paracas National Reserve
December 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 →

<5% of wildlife watchers report a Swallow-tailed Gull sighting in Paracas National Reserve, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

📅 Monthly Probability

<5
Jan
<5
Feb
<5
Mar
<5
Apr
<5
May
<5
Jun
<5
Jul
<5
Aug
<5
Sep
<5
Oct
<5
Nov
5–10
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 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 Paracas National Reserve?

About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Swallow-tailed Gull sighting in Paracas National Reserve, based on 6 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Swallow-tailed Gull in Paracas National Reserve?

December has the highest sighting rate for Swallow-tailed Gull in Paracas National Reserve in our monthly data.

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