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 Shenandoah National Park
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Bonaparte's Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Larus pipixcan
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Whimbrel
Numenius hudsonicus
Willet
Tringa semipalmata
Long-billed Dowitcher
Limnodromus scolopaceus
📅 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 Shenandoah National Park?
About 0% of visitor-days record a American Herring Gull sighting in Shenandoah National Park, based on 6 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to see American Herring Gull in Shenandoah National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for American Herring Gull in Shenandoah National Park in our monthly data.