Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusLarus (Large White-headed Gulls)
- SpeciesLarus dominicanus (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 nominate L. d. dominicanus is the subspecies found around South America, parts of Australia (where it overlaps with the Pacific gull), and New Zealand (where it is known as the black-backed gull, the southern black-backed gull, mollyhawk – particularly the juveniles, or by its Māori name karoro). L. d. vetula (known as the Cape gull) is a subspecies occurring around Southern Africa. The specific name comes from the Dominican Order of friars, who wear black and white habits. Wikipedia →
<5% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull sighting in Machalilla National Park, based on 5 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Machalilla National Park
Belcher's Gull
Larus belcheri
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Inca Tern
Larosterna inca
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Elegant Tern
Thalasseus elegans
Franklin's Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcan
Sabine's Gull
Xema sabini
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Grey-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
South American Tern
Sterna hirundinacea
Gull-billed Tern
Gelochelidon nilotica
Common Tern
Sterna hirundo
📅 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 Dominican Gull in Machalilla National Park?
About 1% of wildlife watchers report a Dominican Gull sighting in Machalilla National Park, based on 5 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Dominican Gull in Machalilla National Park?
November has the highest sighting rate for Dominican Gull in Machalilla National Park in our monthly data.