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 Katmai National Park
Glaucous-winged Gull
Larus glaucescens
Short-billed Gull
Larus brachyrhynchus
Slaty-backed Gull
Larus schistisagus
Glaucous Gull
Larus hyperboreus
Bonaparte's Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
Arctic Tern
Sterna paradisaea
Black-legged Kittiwake
Rissa tridactyla
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Aleutian Tern
Onychoprion aleuticus
Sabine's Gull
Xema sabini
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
📅 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 Katmai National Park?
About 6% of visitor-days record a American Herring Gull sighting in Katmai National Park, based on 10 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to see American Herring Gull in Katmai National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for American Herring Gull in Katmai National Park in our monthly data.