Bonaparte's Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusChroicocephalus (Masked Gulls and allies)
- SpeciesChroicocephalus philadelphia (Bonaparte's Gull)
Bonaparte's gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) is a gull found mainly in northern North America. At 28 to 38 cm (11 to 15 in) in length, it is one of the smallest species of gull. Its plumage is mainly white with grey upperparts. During breeding season, Bonaparte's gull gains a slaty-black hood. The sexes are similar in appearance. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus
Least Tern
Sternula antillarum
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Cabot's Tern
Thalasseus acuflavidus
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Bonaparte's Gull at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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