Glaucous Gull
Glaucous GullGlaucous GullGlaucous GullGlaucous Gull

Glaucous Gull

Larus hyperboreus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
30–40% · Possible
overall probability at Vatnajokull National Park
762 Verified records at Vatnajokull National Park
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus) is a large gull, the second-largest gull in the world. The genus name is from Latin larus, which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific name hyperboreus is Latin for "northern" from the Ancient Greek Huperboreoi people from the far north "Glaucous" is from Latin glaucus and denotes the grey colour of the gull. An older English name for this species is burgomaster. Wikipedia →

30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Glaucous Gull sighting in Vatnajokull National Park, based on 762 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Vatnajokull National Park

European Herring Gull
LC

European Herring Gull

🌅 Crepuscular Bird

Larus argentatus

40–50% · Likely
Great Black-backed Gull
LC

Great Black-backed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus marinus

40–50% · Likely
Iceland Gull
LC

Iceland Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus glaucoides

20–30% · Possible
Lesser Black-backed Gull
LC

Lesser Black-backed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus fuscus

20–30% · Possible
Common Gull
LC

Common Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus canus

10–20% · With luck
Ring-billed Gull
LC

Ring-billed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus delawarensis

Insufficient data
Black-headed Gull

Black-headed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

70–80% · Very likely
Arctic Tern
LC

Arctic Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna paradisaea

50–60% · Likely
Black-legged Kittiwake
VU

Black-legged Kittiwake

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rissa tridactyla

10–20% · With luck
Little Gull
LC

Little Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hydrocoloeus minutus

Insufficient data
Sabine's Gull
LC

Sabine's Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Xema sabini

Insufficient data
White-winged Tern
LC

White-winged Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chlidonias leucopterus

Insufficient data

📅 Monthly Probability

70–80
Jan
80–90
Feb
80–90
Mar
50–60
Apr
20–30
May
10–20
Jun
10–20
Jul
30–40
Aug
40–50
Sep
50–60
Oct
80–90
Nov
80–90
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 Vatnajokull National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
30–40%
2 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
3 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
4 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
6 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
<5%
7 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
8 Thingvellir National Park 🇮🇸 Iceland
Insufficient data
9 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
10 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
11 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
12 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
13 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
14 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
15 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
16 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
17 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
18 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
19 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Glaucous Gull in Vatnajokull National Park?

About 34% of wildlife watchers report a Glaucous Gull sighting in Vatnajokull National Park, based on 762 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Glaucous Gull in Vatnajokull National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Glaucous Gull in Vatnajokull National Park in our monthly data.

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