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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 <5% in a week ~10%
70 Verified sightings at Galápagos Islands From 2019 to 2026
16,535 In all 25 parks
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
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 Galápagos Islands
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 Galápagos Islands
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Dominican Gull in Galápagos Islands?
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull sighting in Galápagos Islands on a given day, based on 70 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 84th most-seen of the 114 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Dominican Gull in Galápagos Islands?
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull in Galápagos Islands on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
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 Galápagos Islands the best place to see a Dominican Gull?
24th of 25
Of the 25 parks where we can rate Dominican Gull sightings, Galápagos Islands ranks 24th at under 5%. The best odds are in Península Valdés (Argentina, over 90%), West Coast National Park (South Africa, about 80%) and Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 70%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Dominican Gull live in Galápagos Islands?
Same family: Laridae
The closest relatives of the Dominican Gull that you can see in Galápagos Islands (family Laridae, Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers) are Brown Noddy (about 60%), Lava Gull (about 40%) and Swallow-tailed Gull (about 40%), 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 Galápagos Islands (70 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.
