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 ~50% in a week ~80%
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 Santiago
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 Santiago
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Dominican Gull in Santiago?
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull sighting in Santiago on a given day, based on 2,702 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 22nd most-seen of the 110 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Dominican Gull in Santiago?
December and January
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull in Santiago on a given day, against about 10% in May, the lowest month. Those are among Santiago's driest months, with about 10 mm of rain a month against 65 mm in June.
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 Santiago the best place to see a Dominican Gull?
8th of 18
Of the 18 cities where we can rate Dominican Gull sightings, Santiago ranks 8th at about 20%. The best odds are in Hobart (Australia, about 70%), Auckland (New Zealand, about 70%) and Montevideo (Uruguay, about 40%).
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 Santiago (2,702 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.
