Franklin's Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)Where and when to see it in the UK
Status not yet classified · reporting peaks July · Skimmers, Noddies, Terns, and Gulls · BOU category A
Peak months
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (grid squares, place names from OS Open Names). Northern Ireland place names: OSNI Open Data, OGL v3.0. County and country boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence v3.0. Coastline: Natural Earth. Bird records from the data partners listed here.
Franklin's Gull has been recorded in 29 of the 2,971 10 km squares covering UK land (1%) in records to 2026. Its strongest squares are in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Reporting peaks in July.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 14% or more of visits
- High
- 4% to 14%
- Moderate
- 1% to 4%
- Low
- under 1%
- Surveyed, not recorded
- at least 20 qualifying visits, no record
- Insufficient records
- too few visits to say
- Lighter fill
- Few visits, lower confidence
- Small dot
- Occasional: a single record, or out of season
Relative to this species' best squares (how classes are calculated)
Seasonality
| Month | Relative to peak | Share of visits | Typical class |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3% | <1% | Low |
| February | 0% | <1% | Low |
| March | 0% | <1% | Insufficient records |
| April | 0% | <1% | Very high |
| May | 25% | <1% | Low |
| June | 4% | <1% | Very high |
| July | 100% | <1% | Moderate |
| August | 0% | <1% | Very high |
| September | 13% | <1% | High |
| October | 2% | <1% | Low |
| November | 4% | <1% | Very high |
| December | 1% | <1% | Low |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in July
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| TQ48 | Redbridge, England | 14% | Very high |
| SK00 | Staffordshire, England | 3% | Moderate |
| NZ71 | North Yorkshire, England | 1% | Moderate |
| TQ57 | Kent, England | <1% | Low |
| H99 | Mid Ulster, Northern Ireland | <1% | Insufficient records |
| HZ26 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | <1% | Insufficient records |
| HZ27 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | <1% | Surveyed, not recorded |
| NB56 | Na h-Eileanan Siar, Scotland | <1% | Surveyed, not recorded |
| NG20 | Highland, Scotland | <1% | Insufficient records |
| NZ06 | Northumberland, England | <1% | Insufficient records |