Photo: Alaska Region U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service from Anchorage, United States / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Shorebirds

Sabine’s Gull

Xema sabini

Sabine's Gull (Xema sabini) — Shorebirds, Gulls & Auks of Europe & Northern Asia.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists

Birds of New South Wales Birds of South Australia Birds of Western Australia Birds of Alberta Birds of British Columbia Birds of Manitoba Birds of New Brunswick Birds of Newfoundland and Labrador Birds of Nova Scotia Birds of Northwest Territories

By family

Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of New South Wales Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of South Australia Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Western Australia Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Alberta Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of British Columbia Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Manitoba Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of New Brunswick Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Newfoundland and Labrador Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Nova Scotia Gulls, Terns & Skimmers of Northwest Territories

See what's near you right now

The Sabine’s Gull (Xema sabini) is a member of the Laridae family found in Europe & Northern Asia and North America. Adults weigh 198 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

Class Aves
Order Charadriiformes
Family Laridae Gulls, Terns, Skimmers
Genus Xema
Species sabini

Where it lives

Patchily on Arctic coasts of northwestern, eastern Greenland, Svalbard (north of Norway), northeastern Siberia from Taimyr Pen. to Wrangel I. (north of Chukotka Pen.) and Gulf of Anadyr (eastern Chukotka Pen.; northeastern Russia); St. Lawrence I. (northern Bering Sea), western, northern Alaska and Arctic Canada

Quick facts

Weight: 198 g
Diet: Aquatic hunters
Family: Laridae
Order: Charadriiformes
Habitat: Wetland, lake & coast

How to identify

Similar birds

Not Evaluated

Bonaparte’s Gull

Chroicocephalus philadelphia

Vulnerable

Red-legged Kittiwake

Rissa brevirostris

Vulnerable

Saunders’s Gull

Saundersilarus saundersi

Least Concern

Ross’s Gull

Rhodostethia rosea

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Sabine’s Gull hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Behaviour

A bird of open sea and coastal waters, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.

Migration

The Sabine’s Gull is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Sabine's Gull (Xema sabini) is a species of gulls, terns, skimmers in the family Laridae, order Charadriiformes. It is found in Europe & Northern Asia, North America — patchily on Arctic coasts of nw, e Greenland, Svalbard (n of Norway), ne Siberia from Taimyr Pen. to Wrangel I. (n of Chukotka Pen.) and Gulf of Anadyr (e Chukotka Pen.; ne Russia); St. Lawrence I. (n Bering Sea), w, n Alaska and Arctic Canada.

Songs & calls

Sabine’s Gull — Call, song

Recorded by Stein Ø. Nilsen Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Sabine’s Gull?

The Sabine’s Gull is a large bird that weighs around 198 g.

Where does the Sabine’s Gull live?

The Sabine’s Gull is found across Europe & Northern Asia and North America with a range covering PAL, NA patchily on Arctic coasts of nw, e Greenland, Svalbard (n of Norway), ne Siberia from Taimyr Pen. to Wrangel I. (n of Chukotka Pen.) and Gulf of Anadyr (e Chukotka Pen.; ne Russia); St. Lawrence I. (n Bering Sea), w, n Alaska and Arctic Canada, where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.

What family does the Sabine’s Gull belong to?

The Sabine’s Gull (Xema sabini) belongs to the Laridae family, in the order Charadriiformes.

What does the Sabine’s Gull eat?

The Sabine’s Gull hunts aquatic prey such as fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Does the Sabine’s Gull migrate?

The Sabine’s Gull is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Sabine’s Gull endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Sabine’s Gull make?

1 real field recording of the Sabine’s Gull — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Sabine’s Gull's range?

The Sabine’s Gull has a mapped global range of about 563,000 km².