WhenToBird

Larus smithsonianus · Laridae

American Herring Gull: When and Where to See It

Adult American Herring Gull
Photo: Priya Sandhu, CC BY 4.0 via iNaturalist

The American Herring Gull reaches South Carolina first, around early August, and Arkansas last, around the second week of November.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
today
Second week of November

Each county is shaded by the share of complete checklists there that listed the bird, blended with the weeks either side. Darker is more often. It follows where people watch birds, not how many birds there are. How to read it.

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0%5%10%Jan 1-7: 9.6% of 1114036 checklistsJan 8-14: 9.2% of 824708 checklistsJan 15-21: 8.8% of 825978 checklistsJan 22-31: 8.5% of 1105853 checklistsFeb 1-7: 8.2% of 779772 checklistsFeb 8-14: 7.1% of 864504 checklistsFeb 15-21: 6.3% of 1127933 checklistsFeb 22-28: 7.9% of 840124 checklistsMar 1-7: 7.5% of 839610 checklistsMar 8-14: 7.1% of 870138 checklistsMar 15-21: 6.7% of 898456 checklistsMar 22-31: 6.2% of 1335637 checklistsApr 1-7: 5.6% of 1030617 checklistsApr 8-14: 5.3% of 1124024 checklistsApr 15-21: 4.9% of 1194575 checklistsApr 22-30: 4.4% of 1675723 checklistsMay 1-7: 4.5% of 1449080 checklistsMay 8-14: 4.6% of 1538353 checklistsMay 15-21: 5.0% of 1219898 checklistsMay 22-31: 4.7% of 1452282 checklistsJun 1-7: 4.1% of 900636 checklistsJun 8-14: 3.9% of 829907 checklistsJun 15-21: 4.0% of 773255 checklistsJun 22-30: 4.1% of 916255 checklistsJul 1-7: 4.4% of 717733 checklistsJul 8-14: 4.9% of 658223 checklistsJul 15-21: 5.2% of 638752 checklistsJul 22-31: 5.6% of 895727 checklistsAug 1-7: 6.0% of 655651 checklistsAug 8-14: 6.4% of 650038 checklistsAug 15-21: 6.7% of 654639 checklistsAug 22-31: 6.4% of 974928 checklistsSep 1-7: 6.1% of 765914 checklistsSep 8-14: 6.1% of 738674 checklistsSep 15-21: 6.1% of 750433 checklistsSep 22-30: 6.1% of 944196 checklistsOct 1-7: 6.3% of 760106 checklistsOct 8-14: 6.5% of 793131 checklistsOct 15-21: 7.0% of 728727 checklistsOct 22-31: 7.5% of 959954 checklistsNov 1-7: 8.2% of 709464 checklistsNov 8-14: 8.7% of 693424 checklistsNov 15-21: 8.8% of 653952 checklistsNov 22-30: 9.2% of 871137 checklistsDec 1-7: 9.0% of 627591 checklistsDec 8-14: 8.7% of 642427 checklistsDec 15-21: 8.2% of 775638 checklistsDec 22-31: 8.9% of 1132751 checklistsJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Share of complete checklists reporting it, by week (4 per month). Grey bars: fewer than 10 checklists, not counted.

Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.

States, in order of first arrivals

StatePatternFirst arrivalsPeakMost gone byPeak %
AlaskaSummer visitorMar 8-14Aug 8-14Nov 1-712%
LouisianaSummer visitorOct 1-7Apr 8-14May 8-144.0%
District of ColumbiaWinter visitorOct 1-7Dec 15-21Mar 1-723%
DelawareAll year, most in winterOct 1-7Jan 15-21Mar 15-2125%
IowaWinter visitorOct 1-7Dec 1-7Mar 22-318.2%
MississippiWinter visitorOct 1-7Jan 15-21Apr 15-219.0%
OklahomaWinter visitorOct 1-7Jan 15-21Mar 1-77.7%
South DakotaWinter visitorOct 1-7Dec 1-7Apr 8-146.5%
ColoradoWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 15-21Mar 22-314.5%
OregonWinter visitorOct 1-7Nov 8-14Mar 1-73.5%
FloridaWinter visitorOct 8-14Jan 22-31Apr 8-145.2%
NebraskaWinter visitorOct 8-14Nov 15-21Apr 1-75.0%
CaliforniaWinter visitorOct 8-14Dec 1-7Mar 8-145.0%
MichiganAll year, most in winterOct 15-21Nov 22-30Jan 8-1415%
MarylandAll year, most in winterOct 15-21Nov 15-21Mar 8-1413%
OhioAll year, most in winterOct 15-21Nov 22-30Feb 1-713%
KansasWinter visitorOct 15-21Jan 22-31Mar 8-148.3%
KentuckyWinter visitorOct 15-21Jan 22-31Mar 15-213.0%
MissouriWinter visitorOct 15-21Feb 1-7Mar 8-143.4%
TennesseeWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 8-14Feb 22-282.7%
TexasWinter visitorOct 15-21Jan 8-14Apr 22-303.3%
UtahWinter visitorOct 15-21Nov 22-30Mar 22-313.0%
WisconsinAll year, most in winterOct 22-31Dec 1-7Jan 15-2117%
NevadaWinter visitorOct 22-31Jan 8-14Feb 15-213.6%
IllinoisAll year, most in winterNov 1-7Jan 8-14Mar 15-2116%
West VirginiaWinter visitorNov 1-7Jan 22-31Feb 22-281.9%
ArkansasWinter visitorNov 8-14Jan 15-21Mar 8-141.0%
MinnesotaWinter visitorMay 15-21Nov 22-30Apr 15-217.3%
North CarolinaWinter visitorMay 15-21Jan 1-7Apr 1-77.0%
IndianaWinter visitorJul 1-7Jan 22-31Apr 8-144.5%
VermontWinter visitorJul 15-21Nov 1-7Apr 1-74.9%
GeorgiaWinter visitorJul 15-21Jan 1-7May 8-142.0%
PennsylvaniaWinter visitorJul 22-31Jan 8-14Apr 8-145.0%
South CarolinaWinter visitorAug 1-7Jan 1-7Apr 8-145.4%
New HampshireAll year, most in fallAug 8-14Jan 1-7Feb 1-717%
VirginiaAll year, most in winterSep 15-21Jan 22-31Mar 8-149.0%
AlabamaWinter visitorSep 15-21Jan 15-21Apr 22-305.9%
North DakotaWinter visitorSep 15-21Dec 1-7Jan 8-145.5%
MontanaWinter visitorSep 15-21Nov 8-14Apr 8-142.6%
WashingtonWinter visitorSep 15-21Nov 1-7Mar 15-212.7%
WyomingWinter visitorSep 15-21Nov 8-14Dec 15-212.7%
New YorkAll year, most in winterSep 22-30Jan 8-14Mar 15-2126%
IdahoWinter visitorSep 22-30Nov 15-21Mar 15-212.6%
Rhode IslandYear-round–Aug 8-14–51%
MaineYear-round–Aug 15-21–41%
MassachusettsYear-round–Jan 15-21–30%
New JerseyYear-round–Jan 8-14–27%
ConnecticutYear-round–Jan 8-14–27%

Winter visitor in: Minnesota, North Carolina, Indiana, Vermont, Georgia, Pennsylvania

Summer visitor in: Alaska, Louisiana