Grey-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusChroicocephalus (Masked Gulls and allies)
- SpeciesChroicocephalus cirrocephalus (Grey-hooded Gull)
The grey-headed gull (Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus), also known as the grey-hooded gull, is a small species of gull which breeds patchily in South America and Africa south of the Sahara. It is not truly migratory, but is dispersive, becoming more widespread in winter. This species has occurred as a rare vagrant to the United States, Italy, and Spain. As is the case with many gulls, it had traditionally been placed in the genus Larus. Recent evidence suggests the South American and African populations may represent two separate cryptic species. Wikipedia →
30–40% of wildlife watchers report a Grey-hooded Gull sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 495 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at iSimangaliso Wetland Park
Hartlaub's Gull
Chroicocephalus hartlaubii
Caspian Tern
Hydroprogne caspia
Crested Tern
Thalasseus bergii
Whiskered Tern
Chlidonias hybrida
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
Little Tern
Sternula albifrons
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Lesser Crested Tern
Thalasseus bengalensis
Sooty Tern
Onychoprion fuscatus
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
White-winged Tern
Chlidonias leucopterus
📅 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
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Grey-hooded Gull in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?
About 35% of wildlife watchers report a Grey-hooded Gull sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park, based on 495 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Grey-hooded Gull in iSimangaliso Wetland Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for Grey-hooded Gull in iSimangaliso Wetland Park in our monthly data.