Black-billed Gull (Chroicocephalus bulleri)
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Black-billed Gull

Chroicocephalus bulleri (Hutton, FW, 1871)

230 gWeight

The black-billed gull (Chroicocephalus bulleri), also called Buller's gull or tarāpuka (Māori), is a Near Threatened species of gull in the family Laridae.

Busiest months: January and November · Most records: New Zealand

Where and when it's recorded

Black-billed Gull has been recorded at 105 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 1 country or region.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Kaikoura – offshore – Albatross Encounter pelagicNew Zealand1,612 records
  2. Miranda – main hide/LimeworksNew Zealand1,145 records
  3. Ashley Estuary south endNew Zealand863 records
More places
  1. Ashley River EstuaryNew Zealand672 records
  2. Miranda Shorebird CentreNew Zealand637 records
  3. Foxton Beach – Manawatu estuaryNew Zealand539 records
  4. Wānaka – Lake foreshoreNew Zealand396 records
  5. Miranda – Ray's Rest/Taramaire Creek mouthNew Zealand360 records
  6. Miranda – 'Stilt Hide' & poolsNew Zealand323 records
  7. Manawatu Estuary – spit/Dawick St platformNew Zealand310 records

Countries and regions with the most records

New Zealand

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black-billed gull (Chroicocephalus bulleri), also called Buller's gull or tarāpuka (Māori), is a Near Threatened species of gull in the family Laridae. This gull is found only in New Zealand, its ancestors having arrived from Australia around 250,000 years ago.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-billed Gull?

The Black-billed Gull weighs around 230 g.

Where does the Black-billed Gull live?

Its breeding range: Australasia: mostly on braided rivers, North and South Islands (New Zealand). It is most often recorded in New Zealand.

When is the best time to see the Black-billed Gull?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January and November (Southern Hemisphere).

What does the Black-billed Gull eat?

Main food: Fish, shrimp & shellfish.

What family is the Black-billed Gull in?

It belongs to the family Gulls, Terns, Skimmers (Laridae), order Charadriiformes.

At a glance

Weight
230 g
Habitat
Rivers & streams
Diet
Fish, shrimp & shellfish
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
More measurements
Wing
288 mm
Tail
93 mm
Bill
42 mm
Tarsus
38 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Australasia: mostly on braided rivers, North and South Islands (New Zealand)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Genus
Chroicocephalus

Other birds in the genus Chroicocephalus

Slender-billed GullSlender-billed GullChroicocephalus geneiBonaparte's GullBonaparte's GullChroicocephalus philadelphiaSilver GullSilver GullChroicocephalus novaehollandiaeAndean GullAndean GullChroicocephalus serranusBrown-hooded GullBrown-hooded GullChroicocephalus maculipennisBlack-headed GullBlack-headed GullChroicocephalus ridibundusBrown-headed GullBrown-headed GullChroicocephalus brunnicephalusGrey-headed GullGrey-headed GullChroicocephalus cirrocephalusHartlaub's GullHartlaub's GullChroicocephalus hartlaubiiAfrican SkimmerAfrican SkimmerRynchops flavirostris
Black-billed Gull

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from reference photos. ↗

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