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 Joshua Tree National Park
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Western Gull
Larus occidentalis
California Gull
Larus californicus
Heermann's Gull
Larus heermanni
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Larus pipixcan
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
Baird's Sandpiper
Calidris bairdii
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Black-necked Stilt
Himantopus mexicanus
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of American Herring Gull at Joshua Tree National Park — 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