Thayer's Gull was long one of the most controversial identification challenges in North American birding — it was recognized as a full species from 1973 to 2017, when the AOS merged it back into Iceland Gull as a subspecies. It breeds on High Arctic cliffs in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and winters along the Pacific Coast. Its intermediate appearance between Herring and Iceland Gulls made it the center of fierce identification debates for decades.
Best time to see a Thayer's Gull
The best time to see a Thayer's Gull is December–February, when about 60% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 1,963 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
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