Franklin's Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcan
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusLeucophaeus (Hooded Gulls)
- SpeciesLeucophaeus pipixcan (Franklin's Gull)
Franklin's gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan) is a small (length 12.6–14.2 in, 32–36 cm) gull. The genus name Leucophaeus is from Ancient Greek leukos, "white", and phaios, "dusky". The specific pipixcan is a Nahuatl name for a type of gull. The English common name was given to commemorate the arctic explorer Sir John Franklin, who led an expedition in 1825 on which the type was collected. Wikipedia →
40–50% of wildlife watchers report a Franklin's Gull sighting in Paracas National Reserve, based on 212 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Paracas National Reserve
Grey Gull
Leucophaeus modestus
Laughing Gull
Leucophaeus atricilla
Belcher's Gull
Larus belcheri
Dominican Gull
Larus dominicanus
Grey-hooded Gull
Chroicocephalus cirrocephalus
Inca Tern
Larosterna inca
Black Skimmer
Rynchops niger
Elegant Tern
Thalasseus elegans
Royal Tern
Thalasseus maximus
Sandwich Tern
Thalasseus sandvicensis
Peruvian Tern
Sternula lorata
Andean Gull
Chroicocephalus serranus
📅 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 Franklin's Gull in Paracas National Reserve?
About 45% of wildlife watchers report a Franklin's Gull sighting in Paracas National Reserve, based on 212 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Franklin's Gull in Paracas National Reserve?
January has the highest sighting rate for Franklin's Gull in Paracas National Reserve in our monthly data.