Grey Gull
Leucophaeus modestus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusLeucophaeus (Hooded Gulls)
- SpeciesLeucophaeus modestus (Grey Gull)
The grey gull, also known as garuma gull (Leucophaeus modestus), is a medium-sized gull native to South America. Unusual among gulls, it breeds inland in the extremely dry Atacama Desert in northern Chile, although it is present as a non-breeding bird along much of the Pacific coast of South America. Wikipedia →
20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Gull sighting in Celestún Biosphere Reserve, based on 9 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Celestún Biosphere Reserve
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Franklin's Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Sooty Tern
Onychoprion fuscatus
Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Forster's Tern
Sterna forsteri
American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus
Least Tern
Sternula antillarum
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
📅 Monthly Probability
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
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 | Paracas National Reserve | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 2 | Celestún Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Galápagos Islands | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 4 | Machalilla National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 5 | Lauca National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Grey Gull in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Grey Gull sighting in Celestún Biosphere Reserve, based on 9 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Grey Gull in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?
June has the highest sighting rate for Grey Gull in Celestún Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.