Ross's Gull (Rhodostethia rosea)Where and when to see it in the UK
Status not yet classified · reporting peaks February · 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.
Ross's Gull has been recorded in 16 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 February.
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, LC)
View on the IUCN Red List- Very high
- 6% or more of visits
- High
- 3% to 6%
- Moderate
- 1% to 3%
- 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 | 4% | <1% | Low |
| February | 100% | <1% | Moderate |
| March | 60% | <1% | Low |
| April | 9% | <1% | Very high |
| May | 6% | <1% | Low |
| June | 23% | <1% | High |
| July | 16% | <1% | Moderate |
| August | 0% | <1% | Very high |
| September | 0% | <1% | Insufficient records |
| October | 2% | <1% | Low |
| November | 6% | <1% | High |
| December | 0% | <1% | Very high |
Squares with the highest reporting rate in February
| Square | Where | Share of visits | Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| NJ96 | Aberdeenshire, Scotland | 43% | Very high |
| SY69 | Dorset, England | 5% | High |
| SY67 | Dorset, England | 4% | High |
| SY68 | Dorset, England | 2% | Moderate |
| SS78 | Neath Port Talbot, Wales | 1% | Moderate |
| SD47 | Lancashire, England | <1% | Low |
| HU31 | Shetland Islands, Scotland | <1% | Surveyed, not recorded |
| J53 | Newry, Mourne and Down, Northern Ireland | <1% | Insufficient records |
| NK06 | Aberdeenshire, Scotland | <1% | Insufficient records |
| NU03 | Northumberland, England | <1% | Insufficient records |