American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusLarus (Large White-headed Gulls)
- SpeciesLarus smithsonianus (American Herring Gull)
Closest Relatives at Channel Islands National Park
Western Gull
Larus occidentalis
California Gull
Larus californicus
Heermann's Gull
Larus heermanni
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
Short-billed Gull
Larus brachyrhynchus
Iceland Gull
Larus glaucoides
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
Elegant Tern
Thalasseus elegans
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ 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
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a American Herring Gull in Channel Islands National Park?
About 5% of visitor-days record a American Herring Gull sighting in Channel Islands National Park, based on 330 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to see American Herring Gull in Channel Islands National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for American Herring Gull in Channel Islands National Park in our monthly data.