Sabine's Gull — Australian Bird Identification Guide

Bird guideSabine's Gull

The yellow-tipped black bill and notched tail are shared only with the swallow-tailed gull of the Galapagos .

Spot this species Read on Wikipedia

⚠️Not listed

At a glance

FamilyGulls, Terns, and Skimmers

SizeMedium

RarityRare

HabitatCoastal waters, beaches, estuaries, harbours, islands, and offshore waters depending on season.

Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from January.

Sounds

Sound sample

0:000:00

Recorded by Stein Ø. Nilsen

Range map

Occurrence window

7visible hotspots

24visible records

2states

Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence

Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.

Species notes

Overview

All ages show distinctive black outer wing, white inner wing, and dark back. Breeding adults have a dark gray head and black bill with yellow tip. Nonbreeding adults have similar distinctive bill but with a mostly white face. Young birds are browner above than adults, with a crisp scaly pattern on the back. Breeds on Arctic tundra.

Behavior

Often seen in flocks during migration and winter, generally far offshore. Rarely seen from shore, but occasionally shows up at large inland bodies of water.

Gallery

Regional timing

Western Australia

Peak: January23 records

New South Wales

Peak: March1 records

Commonly confused with

Common TernSterna hirundoBill color differs by subspecies: most have red bill with black tip, but some Asian birds have all-black bills. First-years show dark outer primaries, dark shoulder, and black restricted to back of neck. Similar to Forster's, Arctic, and Roseate Terns. Separated from breeding Forster's Tern by entirely gray upperwings; nonbreeding Forster's shows black ear patch. Somewhat longer-billed and shorter-tailed than Arctic Tern, with paler body. Shorter-tailed and overall darker than gleaming white Roseate Tern. Often found in large flocks, especially in late summer.→Little TernSternula albifronsTiny, delicate-looking tern. Breeding plumage has black cap with white forehead chevron, black-tipped yellow bill. Readily identified by tiny size, though wintering adults can be confusingly similar in patterning to Common Tern; look out for black stripes extending from the shoulder to the wingtip. Often overlooked unless noisy and mobbing you at a colony.→Silver GullChroicocephalus novaehollandiaeCompare this bird carefully in the field→