Are there seagulls in Puerto Rico?

Laughing Gull, Puerto Rico's gull

The Laughing Gull is 14–16.5 inches long with a wingspan of 99–110 cm, roughly 3.3–3.6 feet. In breeding plumage it has a black hood, a dark gray back, and mostly black wingtips; outside the breeding season the hood shrinks or disappears. The bill and legs are dark, often with a reddish tinge. Its loud, rolling call sounds like laughter, which gives the species its name.

It uses marshes, coastal waters, tidal flats, calm bays, and islets, and sometimes moves inland to landfills and reservoirs. The Breeding Bird Atlas recorded it in 80 hexagons, mostly coastal and within the subtropical dry forest life zone. It is not listed in any threatened category by the Puerto Rico DNER or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the IUCN rates it Least Concern.

Why it seems there are no seagulls

The big gulls people associate with northern piers and parking lots, such as Herring, Ring-billed, and Great Black-backed Gulls, nest far to the north; the Ring-billed Gull, for example, breeds in Canada and the northern United States and winters mainly in the United States and northern Mexico. They reach Puerto Rico only now and then. In this atlas's data, 10 of the 12 recorded gulls are classified as accidental visitors.

The calendar also surprises visitors from the north: in Puerto Rico the Laughing Gull is common from April to September, the season when it nests, and becomes irregular and rare in the cooler months. A visitor arriving in January can walk beaches for days without seeing a single gull, finding only terns, pelicans, and frigatebirds.

The other 11 gulls on the list

Besides the Laughing Gull, SOPI's catalog includes Franklin's, Little, Black-headed, Bonaparte's, Ring-billed, Herring, Yellow-legged, Lesser Black-backed, Great Black-backed, and Sabine's Gulls, plus Black-legged Kittiwake. Four of them, Little Gull, Yellow-legged Gull, Sabine's Gull, and Black-legged Kittiwake, are explicitly marked Accidental.

Several are frequent searches on this site, such as Lesser and Great Black-backed Gulls, because their appearances generate photos and questions. Identifying them means comparing relative size, back color, leg and bill color, and the bird's age: large gulls take several years to reach adult plumage, and brown immatures are the hardest.

Terns: the seagulls that are not gulls

Many people call any white-and-gray beach bird a seagull. SOPI's catalog itself records the folk name Gaviota chica, little gull, for the Least Tern, a 22–24 cm tern with a black cap and, in summer, a yellow bill with a black tip, which nests on the Cabo Rojo Salt Flats alongside Snowy and Wilson's Plovers.

The breeding atlas documents seven terns and noddies nesting in Puerto Rico, including Royal, Sandwich, Roseate, Sooty, and Bridled Terns and Brown Noddy. Compared with the Laughing Gull, terns have narrower, more pointed wings and thin straight bills, and many fish by plunge-diving from the air.

Where and when to see gulls in Puerto Rico

For the Laughing Gull, plan between April and September and check bays, piers, beaches, and coastal lagoons. The cays around Culebra, Mona, and Monito are its nesting areas, so summer boat trips around Culebra are a good opportunity; keep your distance and respect cay closures during the nesting season.

For the rare gulls there is no guarantee. Scan flocks of birds resting on beaches, bays, and reservoirs during the cooler months, and photograph any large or pale-legged gull. Note the date, place, and apparent age, and upload the record to eBird: a clear photo of the open wings and the legs is usually enough to confirm the species.

Are there seagulls in Puerto Rico?

Yes. The Laughing Gull is common from April to September and is the only gull that nests in Puerto Rico, on cays around Culebra, Mona, and Monito. Eleven other gull species have been recorded as infrequent or accidental visitors.

Why are there no seagulls in Puerto Rico?

There are some, just few. The big northern gulls nest and winter far from Puerto Rico and arrive only rarely. The common Laughing Gull is seen mostly from April to September, so in winter it can seem there are none at all.

What is the most common gull in Puerto Rico?

The Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla). It is recognized by its black hood in the breeding season, dark gray back, black wingtips, and a call that sounds like laughter.

What bird looks like a seagull but is smaller?

It is almost always a tern, especially the Least Tern, known locally as Gaviota chica. It is 22–24 cm long with a black cap and, in summer, a yellow bill with a black tip, and it fishes over coastal waters and salt flats.

When does the Laughing Gull nest in Puerto Rico?

The breeding atlas indicates it nests mostly from May to July, with some activity in March and a peak in July. It makes a ground scrape on beaches or in crevices of rocky cays, sometimes near other seabird colonies.

Are there big gulls in Puerto Rico?

Only as rarities. Herring, Lesser Black-backed, and Great Black-backed Gulls are on SOPI's catalog, but none is resident and their appearances are occasional. A big gull in Puerto Rico deserves photos and a record.