American Herring Gull
American Herring GullAmerican Herring GullAmerican Herring GullAmerican Herring Gull

American Herring Gull

Larus smithsonianus

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
70–80% · Very likely
overall probability at Acadia National Park
8,598 Verified records at Acadia National Park
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

The American herring gull (Larus smithsonianus or Larus argentatus smithsonianus), also known as the Arctic herring gull or Smithsonian gull, is a large gull that breeds in North America, where it is treated by the American Ornithological Society as distinct from the European herring gull (Larus argentatus). Adults are white with gray back and wings, black wingtips with white spots, and pink legs. Immature birds are gray-brown and are darker and more uniform than European herring gulls, with a darker tail. As is common with other gulls, they are colloquially referred to simply as seagulls. It occurs in a variety of habitats including coasts, lakes, rivers, parking lots and garbage dumps. Its broad diet includes invertebrates, fish, and many other items. Wikipedia →

70–80% of wildlife watchers report a American Herring Gull sighting in Acadia National Park, based on 8,598 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Acadia National Park

Great Black-backed Gull
LC

Great Black-backed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus marinus

40–50% · Likely
Ring-billed Gull
LC

Ring-billed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus delawarensis

20–30% · Possible
Lesser Black-backed Gull
LC

Lesser Black-backed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus fuscus

<5% · Rare
Iceland Gull
LC

Iceland Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus glaucoides

<5% · Rare
Glaucous Gull
LC

Glaucous Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus hyperboreus

Insufficient data
Laughing Gull
LC

Laughing Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucophaeus atricilla

10–20% · With luck
Common Tern
LC

Common Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna hirundo

10–20% · With luck
Bonaparte's Gull

Bonaparte's Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

<5% · Rare
Black-legged Kittiwake
VU

Black-legged Kittiwake

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rissa tridactyla

<5% · Rare
Roseate Tern
LC

Roseate Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna dougallii

Insufficient data
Black Skimmer
LC

Black Skimmer

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rynchops niger

Insufficient data
Arctic Tern
LC

Arctic Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna paradisaea

<5% · Rare

📅 Monthly Probability

70–80
Jan
70–80
Feb
70–80
Mar
60–70
Apr
60–70
May
70–80
Jun
70–80
Jul
80–90
Aug
80–90
Sep
70–80
Oct
80–90
Nov
80–90
Dec

☀️ When They're Spotted

Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)

☀️Diurnal
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
70–80%
2 Cape Breton Highlands National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
60–70%
3 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
4 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
50–60%
5 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
6 Voyageurs National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
7 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
8 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
20–30%
9 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
10–20%
10 Kenai Fjords National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
11 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
12 Wrangell-St. Elias National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
13 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
14 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
15 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
10–20%
16 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
5–10%
17 Katmai National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
18 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
19 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
20 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
21 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
22 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
23 Ciénaga de Zapata 🇨🇺 Cuba
<5%
24 Denali National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
25 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
26 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
27 Death Valley National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
28 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
29 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
30 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
31 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
32 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
33 Gates of the Arctic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
34 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
35 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
36 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
37 Jasper National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
38 Big Cypress National Preserve 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
39 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
40 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
41 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
42 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
43 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
44 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
45 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
46 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
47 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a American Herring Gull in Acadia National Park?

About 73% of wildlife watchers report a American Herring Gull sighting in Acadia National Park, based on 8,598 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see American Herring Gull in Acadia National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for American Herring Gull in Acadia National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Acadia National Park