Leucophaeus scoresbii
Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The dolphin gull (Leucophaeus scoresbii), sometimes erroneously called the red-billed gull (a somewhat similar but unrelated species from New Zealand), is a gull native to southern Chile and Argentina, and the Falkland Islands. It is a coastal bird inhabiting rocky, muddy and sandy shores and is often found around seabird colonies. They have greyish feathers, and the feathers on their wings are a darker shade. Dolphin gulls have a varied diet, eating many things ranging from mussels to carrion.
The modern scientific name Leucophaeus scoresbii, together with the obsolete common name Scoresby's gull, commemorates the English explorer William Scoresby (1789–1857). The dolphin gull is found round the coasts of Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands. It is a vagrant to South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. It is found on rocky coasts and in the vicinity of other colonies of seabirds, slaughterhouses, sewage outflows and farmyards.
The dolphin gull is a scavenger and opportunistic predator. It feeds on carrion, offal, bird eggs, nestlings, marine invertebrates and other natural food. When humans disturb nesting seabirds, it takes advantage of...
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Falkland Islands | 🇫🇰 Falkland Islands | |
| 2 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 3 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
Very likely
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Dolphin Gull sighting in Falkland Islands on a given day, based on 1,337 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 10th most-seen of the 79 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September
In that month about 80% of wildlife watchers report a Dolphin Gull in Falkland Islands on a given day, against about 60% in February and October–November, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dolphin 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.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Dolphin Gull sightings, Falkland Islands has the highest daily chance: about 70%. Next come Península Valdés (Argentina, about 40%) and Tierra del Fuego National Park (Argentina, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dolphin Gull is recorded against all the birds logged in Falkland Islands (1,337 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
