Sabine's Gull Similar Species Comparison
Main SpeciesSabine's Gull
Breeding adult
Striking black-headed gull on the breeding grounds in the Arctic. Bill is black with a yellow tip.
© Daniel López-Velasco | Ornis Birding Expeditions / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 16, 2019Juvenile
Juveniles have a brownish back that appears scaly and a brownish neck. The outer primaries are black, narrowly edged in white.
© Michel Bourque / Macaulay LibraryQuebec, November 05, 2019Breeding adult
Sabine's Gulls typically nest along pond edges, on islands, or on low-lying marshy tundra near the shore.
© Malkolm Boothroyd / Macaulay LibraryNunavut, July 14, 2015Not all videos have sound
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding birds have black primaries, white secondaries, and a gray back. A smudgy gray partial hood marks the head. The tail is entirely white.
© Sean Williams / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, July 12, 2020Breeding adult
Breeding birds in flight have black primaries, white secondaries, and a gray back, all of which form triangular patches of color.
© Tom Johnson / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, June 09, 2018Juvenile
Juveniles in flight look similar to breeding adults, but have paler triangular blocks of color and the tail is tipped in black.
© Raphaël Nussbaumer / Macaulay LibraryVaud, September 26, 2017Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding birds have black primaries, white secondaries, and a gray back. A smudgy gray partial hood marks the head. The tail is entirely white.
© Chris Wood / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, September 16, 2015Nonbreeding adult
Resting nonbreeding birds show a smudgy gray partial hood and black wingtips with a touch of white edging. The bill is black with a yellow tip.
© Marshall Iliff / Macaulay LibraryDakar, October 19, 2016Similar SpeciesBonaparte's Gull
Breeding adult
Breeding Bonaparte's Gulls have an all-black head and red legs, unlike Sabine's Gull's gray hood with black collar, and dark legs. Bonaparte's has mostly dark wingtips when folded, whereas Sabine's has large white spots.
© Yvonne Bieman / Macaulay LibraryOntario, July 23, 2017Similar SpeciesBonaparte's Gull
Nonbreeding adult
In flight, Bonaparte's Gulls have gray wings with bright white triangles, while Sabine's has the wings broken up into an even bolder pattern of triangles: black outer primaries, white trailing edge, and gray back and inner wing.
© Caleb Putnam / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, November 27, 2016Similar SpeciesBonaparte's Gull
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding Bonaparte's Gulls have a neat black spot near the ear, whereas Sabine's has a grayish incomplete hood that extends up onto the head.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, November 03, 2016Similar SpeciesBonaparte's Gull
First winter
Immature Bonaparte's Gulls have a gray bar on the upperwing coverts, not the bold black triangles and dark gray back of immature Sabine's.
© Brendan Klick / Macaulay LibraryMichigan, September 09, 2017Similar SpeciesBonaparte's Gull
Juvenile
Juvenile Bonaparte's Gulls lack the Sabine's Gull's bold pattern of heavy black triangles in the outer primaries and neat triangles of brown and white on the inner wing.
© Brandon Holden / Macaulay LibraryOntario, August 06, 2007Similar SpeciesLittle Gull
Breeding adult
Breeding adult Little Gulls are smaller than Sabine's Gulls and have all-dark underwings unlike the pale underwings on Sabine's Gulls
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibrarySouth Karelia, June 07, 2015Similar SpeciesLittle Gull
First summer
Immature Little Gulls have a narrow dark M on the upperwings but not the bold black triangles and white trailing edges of Sabine's Gull.
© Yann Kolbeinsson / Macaulay LibraryNorðurland eystraSimilar SpeciesLittle Gull
Juvenile
Juvenile Little Gulls have a strong black M on their backs but lack the Sabine's Gull's crisp white patches in the trailing edge of the wings.
© Nick Saunders / Macaulay LibrarySaskatchewan, October 13, 2013Similar SpeciesBlack-legged Kittiwake
Nonbreeding adult
Nonbreeding Black-legged Kittiwakes are larger than Sabine's Gulls, with yellow bills.
© Matt Brady / Macaulay LibraryCalifornia, February 08, 2012Similar SpeciesBlack-legged Kittiwake
Immature
Immature Black-legged Kittiwakes have a black collar and ear spot, without the partial gray hood of Sabine's Gull. The black bar on an immature kittiwake's inner wing contrasts with its gray back, whereas on Sabine's Gulls this area is all one color.
© Evan Lipton / Macaulay LibraryMassachusetts, November 10, 2015Similar SpeciesRoss's Gull
Breeding adult
Ross's Gulls have a white head and thin black collar around the neck, not seen on either immature or adult Sabine's Gulls.
© PC Smith / Macaulay LibraryNunavut, August 16, 2011Similar SpeciesRoss's Gull
First winter
First Winter Ross's Gulls in flight have a bold black M pattern on their back that juvenile Sabine's Gulls lack. Ross's Gulls also have a wedge-shaped tail, unlike Sabine's square-tipped tail.
© Ian Davies / Macaulay LibraryNew York, January 29, 2017Similar SpeciesRed-legged Kittiwake
Immature
Red-legged Kittiwakes occur only in a small region around the Bering Sea and associated islands. They have short, yellow bills and reddish legs, unlike the longer black bill and dark legs of Sabine's Gull.
© Dominique Lavoie / Macaulay LibraryAlaska, July 15, 2008Rotate Your Device to Better Compare
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Species in This Family
Gulls, Terns, and Skimmers(Order: Charadriiformes, Family: Laridae)
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