Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Silhouette: Alexandre Vong · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusLarus (Large White-headed Gulls)
- SpeciesLarus dominicanus (Dominican Gull)
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
About the Dominican Gull
The kelp gull (Larus dominicanus), also known as the Dominican gull, is a gull that breeds on coasts and islands through much of the Southern Hemisphere. The specific name comes from the Dominican Order of friars, who wear black and white habits.
The kelp gull superficially resembles two gulls from further north in the Atlantic Ocean, the lesser black-backed gull and the great black-backed gull, and is intermediate in size between these two species. This species ranges from 54 to 65 cm (21 to 26 in) in total length, from 128 to 142 cm (50 to 56 in) in wingspan and from 540 to 1,390 g (1.19 to 3.06 lb) in weight. Adult males and females weigh on average 1,000 g (2.2 lb) and 900 g (2.0 lb) respectively. Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 37.3 to 44.8 cm (14.7 to 17.6 in)... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Dominican Gull in Maputo
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hobart | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Montevideo | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | |
| 4 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Lima | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 6 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Santos | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Santiago | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 9 | Maputo | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 10 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SeaWorld Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Rio de Janeiro Zoological Garden | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 3 | Loro Parque | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 4 | Discovery Cove | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Buin Zoo | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 6 | World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Closest Relatives at Maputo
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Dominican Gull in Maputo?
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull sighting in Maputo on a given day, based on 66 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 37th most-seen of the 115 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Dominican Gull in Maputo?
March
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull in Maputo on a given day, against under 5% in January and July, the lowest months. That is one of Maputo's wettest months, with about 95 mm of rain against 15 mm in August.
What time of day is best to see a Dominican Gull?
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dominican 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 Maputo the best place to see a Dominican Gull?
9th of 18
Of the 18 cities where we can rate Dominican Gull sightings, Maputo ranks 9th at about 20%. The best odds are in Hobart (Australia, about 70%), Auckland (New Zealand, about 70%) and Montevideo (Uruguay, about 40%).
Which relatives of the Dominican Gull live in Maputo?
Same family: Laridae
The closest relatives of the Dominican Gull that you can see in Maputo (family Laridae, Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers) are Grey-hooded Gull (about 40%), Little Tern (about 10%) and Whiskered Tern (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Dominican Gull sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dominican Gull is recorded against all the birds logged in Maputo (66 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.
