Dominican Gull

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Dominican Gull in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands?

Very likely. About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull sighting in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands on a given day, based on 981 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 37 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

Q: When is the best time to see a Dominican Gull in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands?

September. In that month over 90% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands on a given day, against about 70% in March, the lowest month. July and August have too few records to rate.

Q: 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.

Q: Is South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands the best place to see a Dominican Gull?

2nd of 32. Of the 32 parks where we can rate Dominican Gull sightings, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ranks 2nd at about 90%. The best odds are in Península Valdés (Argentina, over 90%). All parks ranked.

Q: 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 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (981 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.

Larus dominicanus

Silhouette: Alexandre Vong · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR

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

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

at South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

In 3 days >90%

981 Verified sightings at South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands From 2019 to 2026

22,875 In all 32 parks

September Best month

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

Animal challenge City Classics WorldwideMedium

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 →

Sounds

Uncertain0:18

Australia · 2026

Call0:29

Chile · 2018

Song0:14

Brazil · 2018

Global Distribution

Where it is recorded most Our parks where it lives Our cities where it livesIn captivity: 7 zoos & centres

Parks Where Found

#	Park	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Península Valdés	🇦🇷 Argentina	>90%
2	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	🇬🇸 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	~90%
3	West Coast National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~80%
4	Falkland Islands	🇫🇰 Falkland Islands	~80%
5	Antarctic Peninsula & South Shetland Islands	🇦🇶 Antarctica	~80%
6	Rakiura National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	~70%
7	Abel Tasman National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	~70%
8	Tierra del Fuego National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~70%
9	Paracas National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~60%
10	Pan de Azúcar National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	~60%
11	Nahuel Huapi National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~60%
12	Fiordland National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	~60%
13	De Hoop Nature Reserve	🇿🇦 South Africa	~60%
14	Table Mountain National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~50%
15	Arthur's Pass National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	~50%
16	Garden Route National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~40%
17	Egmont National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	~40%
18	Saloum Delta National Park	🇸🇳 Senegal	~40%
19	Freycinet National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~30%
20	Maria Island National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~30%
21	Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	~30%
22	Aoraki Mount Cook National Park	🇳🇿 New Zealand	~20%
23	Addo Elephant National Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~20%
24	Phillip Island Nature Park	🇦🇺 Australia	~20%
25	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~10%
26	iSimangaliso Wetland Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%
27	Namib-Naukluft National Park	🇳🇦 Namibia	<5%
28	Torres del Paine National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	<5%
29	Wilsons Promontory National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
30	Great Otway National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%
31	Galápagos Islands	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
32	Royal National Park	🇦🇺 Australia	<5%

Cities Where Found

#	City	Country	Daily sighting probability
1	Hobart	🇦🇺 Australia	~70%
2	Auckland	🇳🇿 New Zealand	~70%
3	Montevideo	🇺🇾 Uruguay	~40%
4	Cape Town	🇿🇦 South Africa	~40%
5	Lima	🇵🇪 Peru	~30%
6	Rio de Janeiro	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
7	Santos	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
8	Santiago	🇨🇱 Chile	~20%
9	Maputo	🇲🇿 Mozambique	~20%
10	Durban	🇿🇦 South Africa	~10%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

#	Zoo / Centre	Country
1	SeaWorld Orlando	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
2	Rio de Janeiro Zoological Garden	🇧🇷 Brazil	In captivity
3	Loro Parque	🇪🇸 Spain	In captivity
4	Discovery Cove	🇺🇸 United States	In captivity
5	Buin Zoo	🇨🇱 Chile	In captivity
6	World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park	🇿🇦 South Africa	In captivity
7	Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park	🇦🇺 Australia	In captivity

Closest Relatives at South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Sterna vittata

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

Stercorarius antarcticus

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

Chionis albus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Aptenodytes patagonicus

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

Leucocarbo atriceps

Daily sighting probability ~90% · Very likely

Pygoscelis papua

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Macronectes giganteus

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Macronectes halli

Daily sighting probability ~80% · Very likely

Oceanites oceanicus

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Anas georgica

Daily sighting probability ~70% · Very likely

Procellaria aequinoctialis

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

Thalassarche melanophris

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dominican Gull in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands?

Very likely

About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull sighting in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands on a given day, based on 981 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 37 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Dominican Gull in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands?

September

In that month over 90% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands on a given day, against about 70% in March, the lowest month. July and August have too few records to rate.

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 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands the best place to see a Dominican Gull?

2nd of 32

Of the 32 parks where we can rate Dominican Gull sightings, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands ranks 2nd at about 90%. The best odds are in Península Valdés (Argentina, over 90%). All parks ranked.

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 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (981 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.

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Dominican Gull

About the Dominican Gull

Sounds

Recent sightings of Dominican Gull in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Cities Where Found

Zoos & Centres Where Found

Closest Relatives at South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands

Antarctic Tern

Brown Skua

Snowy Sheathbill

King Penguin

Imperial Shag

Gentoo Penguin

Southern Giant Petrel

Northern Giant Petrel

Wilson's Storm Petrel

Yellow-billed Pintail

White-chinned Petrel

Black-browed Albatross

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dominican Gull in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands?

When is the best time to see a Dominican Gull in South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands?

What time of day is best to see a Dominican Gull?

Is South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands the best place to see a Dominican Gull?

Where does the Dominican Gull sighting chance come from?