The Kelp Gull is native to the coasts of the Southern Hemisphere including South America, Africa and Australia. Like most gulls, they are prone to wandering as this Kelp found near Corpus Christi in December of 2024 and into January of 2025 did. In early 2026 a year older bird was found in Willacy County and was thought to be the same individual. There are 7 accepted records of the Kelp in Texas as of early 2026.
As can be seen from the photos below, the Kelp is a large dark-backed gull with a very large, bulbous-tipped bill. Adults are amongst the darkest-backed gulls. This immature had a dark brown back. The wide and long bill is compared to that of a Herring Gull in one of the photos below.
