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 ~30% in a week ~60%
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 Tijuca National Park
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 Tijuca National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Dominican Gull in Tijuca National Park?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull sighting in Tijuca National Park on a given day, based on 395 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 56th most-seen of the 214 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 Dominican Gull in Tijuca National Park?
January and July
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull in Tijuca National Park on a given day, against about 10% in February–June and August–December, the lowest months.
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 Tijuca National Park the best place to see a Dominican Gull?
18th of 25
Of the 25 parks where we can rate Dominican Gull sightings, Tijuca National Park ranks 18th at about 10%. 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.
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 Tijuca National Park (395 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.
