Bonaparte's Gull
Chroicocephalus philadelphia
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderCharadriiformes (Caradriformes)
- FamilyLaridae (Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers)
- GenusChroicocephalus (Masked Gulls and allies)
- SpeciesChroicocephalus philadelphia (Bonaparte's Gull)
Bonaparte's gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphia) is a gull found mainly in northern North America. At 28 to 38 cm (11 to 15 in) in length, it is one of the smallest species of gull. Its plumage is mainly white with grey upperparts. During breeding season, Bonaparte's gull gains a slaty-black hood. The sexes are similar in appearance. Wikipedia →
10–20% of wildlife watchers report a Bonaparte's Gull sighting in Wood Buffalo National Park, based on 8 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
Closest Relatives at Wood Buffalo National Park
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
American Herring Gull
Larus smithsonianus
Short-billed Gull
Larus brachyrhynchus
Franklin's Gull
Leucophaeus pipixcan
California Gull
Larus californicus
Black Tern
Chlidonias niger
Lesser Yellowlegs
Tringa flavipes
Wilson's Snipe
Gallinago delicata
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Solitary Sandpiper
Tringa solitaria
Killdeer
Charadrius vociferus
Greater Yellowlegs
Tringa melanoleuca
📅 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 Bonaparte's Gull in Wood Buffalo National Park?
About 14% of wildlife watchers report a Bonaparte's Gull sighting in Wood Buffalo National Park, based on 8 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Bonaparte's Gull in Wood Buffalo National Park?
July has the highest sighting rate for Bonaparte's Gull in Wood Buffalo National Park in our monthly data.