Larus pacificus
Silhouette: Sharon Wegner-Larsen · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The Pacific gull (Larus pacificus) is a gull, native to the coasts of Australia. It is moderately common in a band along the coast between Carnarvon, Western Australia, in the west, and Sydney in the east, as well as Tasmania and other islands off the continent's southern coast. It has, however, become scarce in some parts of the south-east, as a result of competition from the kelp gull.
Much larger than the ubiquitous silver gull, and much less common, Pacific gulls are usually seen alone or in pairs, loafing around the shoreline, steadily patrolling high above the edge of the water, or sometimes flying high on the breeze to drop a shellfish or sea urchin onto rocks.
The gulls' diet consists of a number of various fish species and invertebrates. They frequently consume crabs, most often the species Ovalipes australiensis and Paragrapsus gaimardii. They also commonly eat Platycephalus bassensis (sand flatheads) and cephalopods, both of which are sourced from their regular consumption of waste from fish which have been cleaned on wharves and beaches. Additionally, they may eat insects, eggs, and other seabirds.
The gulls may be found scavenging abattoirs and in rubbish tips... Wikipedia →
Call0:40
Australia · 2017
© Greg McLachlan · XC383925 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Call0:23
Australia · 2015
© Pieter de Groot Boersma · XC326943 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Recording0:09
Australia · 2026
© clayt_ · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Rottnest Island | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pacific Gull sighting in Perth on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 148th most-seen of the 162 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Pacific Gull in Perth on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pacific Gull sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Pacific Gull sightings, Perth ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Melbourne (Australia, about 10%) and Hobart (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Laridae
The closest relatives of the Pacific Gull that you can see in Perth (family Laridae, Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers) are Silver Gull (about 30%), Crested Tern (about 10%) and Caspian Tern (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Pacific Gull is recorded against all the birds logged in Perth (20 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.
