Ring-billed Gull

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Ring-billed Gull in Vancouver?

With luck. About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ring-billed Gull sighting in Vancouver on a given day, based on 4,076 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 59th most-seen of the 252 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Ring-billed Gull in Vancouver?

August to February. In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Ring-billed Gull in Vancouver on a given day, against under 5% in April to July, the lowest months.

Q: What time of day is best to see a Ring-billed Gull?

Between noon and 3 pm. Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ring-billed 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.

Q: Is Vancouver the best place to see a Ring-billed Gull?

21st of 42. Of the 42 cities where we can rate Ring-billed Gull sightings, Vancouver ranks 21st at about 10%. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, about 70%), Montreal (Canada, about 70%) and Chicago (United States, about 60%).

Q: Which relatives of the Ring-billed Gull live in Vancouver?

Same genus: Larus. The closest relatives of the Ring-billed Gull that you can see in Vancouver (genus Larus, Large White-headed Gulls) are Glaucous-winged Gull (about 60%) and Short-billed Gull (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Q: Where does the Ring-billed Gull sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records. It is estimated from how often the Ring-billed Gull is recorded against all the birds logged in Vancouver (4,076 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.

Larus delawarensis

Silhouette: Jason Dilworth · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderCharadriiformes (Shorebirds and Allies)
FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
GenusLarus (Large White-headed Gulls)
SpeciesLarus delawarensis (Ring-billed Gull)

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

at Vancouver

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

4,076 Verified sightings at Vancouver

26,706 In all 34 parks From 2019 to 2026

December Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

Challenge City Classics WorldwideMedium

About the Ring-billed Gull

The ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) is a medium-sized gull native to North America, breeding in Canada and the northern Contiguous United States, and wintering mainly in the United States and northern Mexico. The genus name is from Latin Larus which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific delawarensis refers to the Delaware River.

The ring-billed gull is a medium-sized gull, having an average length of 43 to 54 centimetres (16.9 to 21.3 in) and a wingspan that ranges from 105 to 117 centimetres (41.3 to 46.1 in). Adults weigh from 300 to 700 grams (10.6 to 24.7 oz).

The head, neck and underparts are white; the relatively short bill is yellow with a black ring; the back and wings are silver grey with black wingtips with white 'mirrors'; and the legs are yellow. The eyes are yellow with red rims. This gull takes three years to reach its breeding plumage starting with the largely brown juvenile plumage, its appearance changing with each fall moult.

The average lifespan of an individual that reaches adulthood is 10.9 years. The oldest ring-billed gull on record was observed in Cleveland in 2021, still alive at the age of 28 years... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:18

Canada · 2023

Recording0:13

Canada · 2018

Flight call0:20

United States · 2013

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 3 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Point Pelee National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~60%
2	Voyageurs National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~50%
3	Padre Island National Seashore	🇺🇸 United States	~50%
4	El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~40%
5	Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
6	Gros Morne National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~40%
7	Elk Island National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~40%
8	Isle Royale National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
9	Acadia National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
10	Riding Mountain National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~20%
11	Channel Islands National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~20%
12	Cape Breton Highlands National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
13	Wood Buffalo National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	~10%
14	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
15	Bahía de Loreto National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
16	Redwood National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
17	Yellowstone National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
18	Everglades National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
19	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
20	Grand Teton National Park	🇺🇸 United States	~10%
21	Banff National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
22	Ciénaga de Zapata	🇨🇺 Cuba	<5%
23	Olympic National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
24	Great Bear Rainforest	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
25	Pacific Rim National Park Reserve	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
26	Glacier National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
27	Big Cypress National Preserve	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
28	Death Valley National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
29	Grand Canyon National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
30	Rocky Mountain National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
31	Jasper National Park	🇨🇦 Canada	<5%
32	Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
33	Big Bend National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%
34	Shenandoah National Park	🇺🇸 United States	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Toronto	🇨🇦 Canada	~70%
2	Montreal	🇨🇦 Canada	~70%
3	Chicago	🇺🇸 United States	~60%
4	Edmonton	🇨🇦 Canada	~40%
5	Calgary	🇨🇦 Canada	~40%
6	New York City	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
7	Denver	🇺🇸 United States	~40%
8	Baltimore	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
9	Detroit	🇺🇸 United States	~30%
10	Boston	🇺🇸 United States	~30%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	Cameron Park Zoo	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	Animal Forest	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
3	South Carolina Aquarium	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity

Closest Relatives at Vancouver

Larus glaucescens

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Larus brachyrhynchus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Larus californicus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Larus glaucoides

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Larus smithsonianus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Larus hyperboreus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Larus occidentalis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Larus heermanni

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Hydroprogne caspia

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Leucophaeus pipixcan

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Sterna hirundo

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Ring-billed Gull in Vancouver?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ring-billed Gull sighting in Vancouver on a given day, based on 4,076 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 59th most-seen of the 252 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Ring-billed Gull in Vancouver?

August to February

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Ring-billed Gull in Vancouver on a given day, against under 5% in April to July, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Ring-billed Gull?

Between noon and 3 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ring-billed 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 Vancouver the best place to see a Ring-billed Gull?

21st of 42

Of the 42 cities where we can rate Ring-billed Gull sightings, Vancouver ranks 21st at about 10%. The best odds are in Toronto (Canada, about 70%), Montreal (Canada, about 70%) and Chicago (United States, about 60%).

Which relatives of the Ring-billed Gull live in Vancouver?

Same genus: Larus

The closest relatives of the Ring-billed Gull that you can see in Vancouver (genus Larus, Large White-headed Gulls) are Glaucous-winged Gull (about 60%) and Short-billed Gull (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Ring-billed Gull sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Ring-billed Gull is recorded against all the birds logged in Vancouver (4,076 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.

← Back to Vancouver

Ring-billed Gull

About the Ring-billed Gull

Sounds

Recent sightings of Ring-billed Gull in Vancouver

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at Vancouver

Glaucous-winged Gull

Short-billed Gull

California Gull

Iceland Gull

American Herring Gull

Glaucous Gull

Western Gull

Heermann's Gull

Bonaparte's Gull

Caspian Tern

Franklin's Gull

Common Tern

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Ring-billed Gull in Vancouver?

When is the best time to see a Ring-billed Gull in Vancouver?

What time of day is best to see a Ring-billed Gull?

Is Vancouver the best place to see a Ring-billed Gull?

Which relatives of the Ring-billed Gull live in Vancouver?

Where does the Ring-billed Gull sighting chance come from?