Leucophaeus scoresbii
Silhouette: Kai Caspar · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >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... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Tierra del Fuego National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Dolphin Gull sighting in Península Valdés on a given day, based on 195 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 21st most-seen of the 96 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Dolphin Gull in Península Valdés on a given day, against about 20% in January and April, the lowest months. June and July have too few records to rate.
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 2 parks where we can rate Dolphin Gull sightings, Península Valdés has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Tierra del Fuego National Park (Argentina, about 20%).
Same family: Laridae
The closest relatives of the Dolphin Gull that you can see in Península Valdés (family Laridae, Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers) are Dominican Gull (over 90%), South American Tern (about 40%) and Royal Tern (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dolphin Gull is recorded against all the birds logged in Península Valdés (195 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.
