Completed
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
Silhouette: Jason Dilworth · PhyloPic
- 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)
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
97 Verified sightings at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve From 2019 to 2026
26,706 In all 34 parks
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
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 →
Recent sightings of Ring-billed Gull in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 6 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Baltimore | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Detroit | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cameron Park Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Animal Forest | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | South Carolina Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Closest Relatives at Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Ring-billed Gull in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Ring-billed Gull sighting in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 97 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 77th most-seen of the 216 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 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve?
December and January
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Ring-billed Gull in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in May–June, August–September and November, the lowest months. Those are among Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain a month against 150 mm in June.
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 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve the best place to see a Ring-billed Gull?
14th of 34
Of the 34 parks where we can rate Ring-billed Gull sightings, Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve ranks 14th at about 10%. The best odds are in Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 60%), Voyageurs National Park (United States, about 50%) and Padre Island National Seashore (United States, about 50%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Ring-billed Gull live in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve?
Same genus: Larus
The closest relatives of the Ring-billed Gull that you can see in Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (genus Larus, Large White-headed Gulls) are American Herring Gull (about 20%) and Lesser Black-backed 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 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve (97 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.
