Seagulls are often considered a pest and nuisance that annoy beach goers all over the world. So you would assume that Hawaii, being a beach destination, would be crawling with these seabirds. But are there seagulls in Hawaii?
Letโs take a look at whether or not these shore birds can be found in the Hawaiian Islands.
Are there seagulls in Hawaii?
More than likely, you wonโt find seagulls in Hawaii, and there are no native gulls that call the islands their home. Additionally, unlike some other bird species, seagulls donโt normally migrate to Hawaii. This means you would be hard pressed to see a gull anywhere in Hawaii.
Why are there no seagulls in Hawaii?
There are several reasons as to why you wonโt find seagulls in Hawaii. These reasons range from how the Hawaiian Islands were created millions of years ago to the fact that these birds donโt travel far from home.
Hawaii doesnโt have a continental shelf
Seagulls like areas where there is a shallow continental shelf that allows them to find food they prefer easily. Thanks to volcanic activity, the Hawaiian Islands do not have a continental shelf. Without this, seagulls cannot find food as easily, and most creatures choose areas that are easier for them to survive and thrive.
Seagulls cannot feed in open oceans
Seagulls have a limited ability to dive into the water to get food. Since land isnโt nearby, birds are pretty much forced to dive into the water in order to feed in the open ocean.
And if you have experience with seagulls, you know these birds prefer an easy meal, such as the sandwich you take with you to the beach.
Seagulls are land dependent birds
Seagulls cannot fly long distances, so the open ocean is typically a big turn off for these birds. They need to have land close by to find suitable food and habitat for them. With that said, however, seagulls can migrate between continents if they are searching for better feeding and breeding conditions then what they currently have.
Seagulls donโt like to travel far
Seagulls donโt normally like to venture too far from home, so they are often seen close to shore and not out in the middle of the ocean. Hawaii and its many different islands are a pretty long distance from continental North and South America, which is where the ideal habitat for these seabirds occurs.ย Seagulls prefer wetlands, large lakes, bays, and coastlines.
Food isnโt as easy to get
Seagulls can eat a wide array of foods, even human foods, but their natural diet consists of insects, fish, mollusks, worms, eggs, seaweed, berries, and crustaceans.
While you can certainly find these in the Hawaiian Islands, they are found more easily in continental areas that have the land attributes that this bird species would rather prefer.
Hawaii is known for species extinction
According to the American Bird Conservancy, Hawaii is the bird extinction capital of the world. And 95 of 142 bird species that could only be found in Hawaii have become extinct since humans arrived in the area. This fact is one of theย reasons as to why you wonโt find seagulls in Hawaii.
Hawaii just isnโt viable for seagulls
While you may find Hawaii the ideal location to lay down your roots, these islands are just not a long-term viable solution for seagulls. If it was, these birds would have taken up residence a long time ago. That doesnโt have to be a bad thing.
Visitors to the island often remark about the lack of seagulls bothering them while they enjoy their vacation. Additionally, if seagulls did try to move to the islands, it could upset the delicate ecosystem that Hawaii has.
Do seagulls ever visit Hawaii?
Even though seagulls are not normally found in Hawaii, there are some species that mayย visit the islands. Although this isnโt common and there are no seagull species that have Hawaii listed as their breeding, nesting, or migrating area.
Wikipedia does, however, list the following seagull species as ones that have the potential to visit the Islands.
- Bonaparteโs gull (Chroicocephalus philadelphian)
- Common Gull (Larus canus)
- Western Gullย (Larus occidentalis)
- Black-Headed Gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
- American Herring Gull (Larus smithsonianus)
- Laughing Gull (Leucophaeus atricilla)
- Slaty-Backed Gull (Larus schistisagus)
- Glaucous-Winged Gull (Larus glaucescent)
- Franklinโs Gull (Leucophaeus pipixcan)
- Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus)
- California Gull (Larus californicus)
- Ring-Billed Gull (Larus delawarensis)
- Lesser Black-Backed Gull (Larus fuscus)
Remember that, more than likely, you wonโt see any type of seagulls in Hawaii. But that doesnโt mean the islands donโt have a wide array of other birds. Some examples include Hawaiสปi สปakepa, AKA the black-crownedย night heron, and โIโiwi, which you can spot when visiting if youโre lucky enough.
In fact, Hawaii is home to over 350 bird species, including 50 different endemic birds that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
