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 Tortuguero National Park
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Larus fuscus
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Larus pipixcan
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Brown Noddy
Anous stolidus
Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
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 Tortuguero National Park?
About 0% of visitor-days record a American Herring Gull sighting in Tortuguero National Park, based on 5 observer-days of citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to see American Herring Gull in Tortuguero National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for American Herring Gull in Tortuguero National Park in our monthly data.