Andean Gull

Andean Gull

Chroicocephalus serranus

Silhouette: Michael Scroggie · PhyloPic

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Lima

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

675 Verified sightings at Lima
867 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Andean Gull

The Andean gull (Chroicocephalus serranus) is a species in subfamily Larinae of the family Laridae, the gulls, terns, and skimmers. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. The Andean gull was long placed in genus Larus. Genetic research has established that Larus sensu lato is paraphyletic so the American Ornithological Society, the International Ornithological Committee, and the Clements taxonomy moved it and 10 other gulls to genus Chroicocephalus. However, BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World retains all of them in Larus. The systems agree that the Andean gull is monotypic.

The Andean gull is 42 to 48 cm (17 to 19 in) long and weighs about 480 g (17 oz); it is one of the larger members of its genus. The sexes are alike. Adults in breeding plumage have a glossy black hood with a white crescent behind the eye and a mostly white body with a gray back and sometimes a pink flush on the underparts. Their tail is white. The upper side of their wing is mostly gray with an alternating white-black-white-black pattern on the primaries. The underside of their wing is pale gray with a blackish... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:19

Chile · 2023

© Barry Edmonston · XC857037 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Flight call0:28

Peru · 2016

© Guy Kirwan · XC350721 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Alarm call0:19

Argentina · 2016

© Luis Fernandez Campos · XC337825 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Lauca National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
~50%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 La Paz 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~30%
2 Cochabamba 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~20%
3 Lima 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
4 Quito 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
5 Arequipa 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Bioparque Municipal Vesty Pakos 🇧🇴 Bolivia In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing an Andean Gull in Lima?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Andean Gull sighting in Lima on a given day, based on 675 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 63rd most-seen of the 171 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see an Andean Gull in Lima?

July–August and October

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Andean Gull in Lima on a given day, against under 5% in November to March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see an Andean Gull?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Andean Gull sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Lima the best place to see an Andean Gull?

3rd of 5

Of the 5 cities where we can rate Andean Gull sightings, Lima ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in La Paz (Bolivia, about 30%) and Cochabamba (Bolivia, about 20%).

Where does the Andean Gull sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Andean Gull is recorded against all the birds logged in Lima (675 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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