Heermann's Gull
Heermann's GullHeermann's GullHeermann's GullHeermann's Gull

Heermann's Gull

Larus heermanni

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
20–30% · Possible
overall probability at Channel Islands National Park
2,050 Verified records at Channel Islands National Park
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's active during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

Heermann's gull (Larus heermanni) is a gull resident in the United States, Mexico and extreme southwestern British Columbia, nearly all nesting on Isla Rasa in the Gulf of California. They are usually found near shores or well out to sea, very rarely inland. The species is named after Adolphus Lewis Heermann, nineteenth-century explorer and naturalist. Wikipedia →

20–30% of wildlife watchers report a Heermann's Gull sighting in Channel Islands National Park, based on 2,050 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Channel Islands National Park

Western Gull
LC

Western Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus occidentalis

70–80% · Very likely
California Gull
LC

California Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus californicus

30–40% · Possible
Ring-billed Gull
LC

Ring-billed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus delawarensis

20–30% · Possible
Glaucous-winged Gull
LC

Glaucous-winged Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus glaucescens

5–10% · Rare
American Herring Gull
LC

American Herring Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus smithsonianus

5–10% · Rare
Short-billed Gull

Short-billed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus brachyrhynchus

<5% · Rare
Iceland Gull
LC

Iceland Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus glaucoides

<5% · Rare
Lesser Black-backed Gull
LC

Lesser Black-backed Gull

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Larus fuscus

Insufficient data
Elegant Tern
NT

Elegant Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus elegans

20–30% · Possible
Forster's Tern
LC

Forster's Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Sterna forsteri

10–20% · With luck
Royal Tern

Royal Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thalasseus maximus

10–20% · With luck
Caspian Tern
LC

Caspian Tern

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hydroprogne caspia

10–20% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

30–40
Jan
10–20
Feb
10–20
Mar
<5
Apr
10–20
May
10–20
Jun
40–50
Jul
40–50
Aug
30–40
Sep
30–40
Oct
40–50
Nov
30–40
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 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
2 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
3 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
20–30%
4 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
5 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
6 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
7 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
8 Joshua Tree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
9 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Heermann's Gull in Channel Islands National Park?

About 29% of wildlife watchers report a Heermann's Gull sighting in Channel Islands National Park, based on 2,050 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Heermann's Gull in Channel Islands National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Heermann's Gull in Channel Islands National Park in our monthly data.

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