Larus fuscus · Laridae
Lesser Black-backed Gull: When and Where to See It

The Lesser Black-backed Gull reaches Georgia first, around late July, and Iowa last, around mid November.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
todayEach 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.
Pooled across every state in the data, so it leans toward states with the most birders.
States, in order of first arrivals
| State | First arrivals | Peak | Most gone by | Peak % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | Jun 15-21 | Sep 8-14 | Apr 8-14 | 1.1% |
| Rhode Island | Jul 15-21 | Sep 15-21 | Feb 1-7 | 3.0% |
| Maine | Aug 15-21 | Sep 8-14 | Oct 15-21 | 1.4% |
| District of Columbia | Nov 15-21 | Dec 8-14 | Jan 15-21 | 1.8% |
| Illinois | Oct 15-21 | Jan 22-31 | Mar 1-7 | 1.1% |
| Ohio | Oct 15-21 | Jan 8-14 | Apr 1-7 | 1.9% |
| Pennsylvania | Oct 22-31 | Jan 15-21 | Mar 15-21 | 1.9% |
| Utah | Nov 1-7 | Jan 22-31 | Mar 15-21 | 1.4% |
| Iowa | Nov 15-21 | Dec 8-14 | Mar 22-31 | 1.1% |
| Nevada | Dec 1-7 | Jan 8-14 | Feb 8-14 | 1.2% |
| Delaware | May 15-21 | Nov 15-21 | Apr 8-14 | 4.7% |
| New York | May 22-31 | Nov 15-21 | Apr 8-14 | 1.2% |
| New Jersey | Jun 22-30 | Oct 8-14 | Apr 15-21 | 5.5% |
| Virginia | Jul 15-21 | Jan 22-31 | Apr 1-7 | 1.6% |
| Georgia | Jul 22-31 | Oct 8-14 | Dec 22-31 | 1.1% |
| North Carolina | Aug 8-14 | Nov 22-30 | Apr 1-7 | 2.3% |
| Florida | Sep 8-14 | Dec 15-21 | Apr 1-7 | 2.7% |
| Kentucky | Sep 8-14 | Jan 22-31 | Mar 15-21 | 1.1% |
| North Dakota | Sep 8-14 | Dec 1-7 | Jan 1-7 | 1.3% |
| Nebraska | Sep 8-14 | Nov 15-21 | Apr 1-7 | 1.1% |
| Oklahoma | Sep 8-14 | Jan 15-21 | Mar 8-14 | 2.3% |
| Michigan | Sep 15-21 | Nov 22-30 | Apr 8-14 | 1.3% |
| Colorado | Sep 22-30 | Jan 1-7 | Apr 1-7 | 1.6% |
| Kansas | Sep 22-30 | Feb 1-7 | Mar 15-21 | 1.0% |
| South Dakota | Sep 22-30 | Nov 22-30 | Jan 22-31 | 2.4% |
Winter visitor in: Nevada, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Virginia
Passes through: Maine
Summer visitor in: Massachusetts, Rhode Island