Black-billed Gull
Chroicocephalus bulleri
Silhouette: Michael Scroggie · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusChroicocephalus (Masked Gulls and allies)
- SpeciesChroicocephalus bulleri (Black-billed Gull)
About the Black-billed Gull
The black-billed gull (Chroicocephalus bulleri), also called Buller's gull or tarāpuka (Māori), is a Near Threatened species of gull in the family Laridae. This gull is found only in New Zealand, its ancestors having arrived from Australia around 250,000 years ago.
Originally named Gavia pomare in 1855 by Carl Friedrich Bruch, the name was rejected by the New Zealand ornithologist Sir Walter Lawry Buller because it was already being used for another species. He then took up Prince Napoléon Bonaparte's "playful" genus name Bruchigavia (literally, "Bruch's seabird") as a provisional name for New Zealand gulls. But because Buller's proposed species name melanoryncha (literally, "black-billed") had already been given to another gull species, Frederick Hutton suggested the name bulleri, in honor of Buller, in 1871. Buller accepted the offer and followed others in adopting the "larger and better-defined genus" of Larus. The alternative common name Buller's gull also retains the connection to Buller.
The species is now considered to belong within the genus Chroicocephalus. The holotype is in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. A... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Black-billed Gull in Rakiura National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Rakiura National Park
Silver Gull
Chroicocephalus novaehollandiae
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
White-fronted Tern
Sterna striata
Black-fronted Tern
Chlidonias albostriatus
Antarctic Tern
Sterna vittata
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
VOC
Haematopus unicolor
South Island Pied Oystercatcher
Haematopus finschi
Brown Skua
Stercorarius antarcticus
Masked Lapwing
Vanellus miles
Bar-tailed Godwit
Limosa lapponica
Snares Island Snipe
Coenocorypha huegeli
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Tongariro National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Aoraki Mount Cook National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 5 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 6 | Arthur's Pass National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black-billed Gull in Rakiura National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-billed Gull sighting in Rakiura National Park, based on 51 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black-billed Gull in Rakiura National Park?
August has the highest sighting rate for Black-billed Gull in Rakiura National Park in our monthly data.