Rare Ross’s Gull Spotted at Newlyn Harbour

Birdwatchers from across Cornwall and beyond headed to Newlyn Harbour this week after news spread of an extremely rare visitor, the Ross’s Gull.

The individual spotted is a second-calendar-year, first-winter bird. The species, known scientifically as Rhodostethia rosea, breeds primarily in the high Arctic tundra of northeast Siberia, Russia. Its main breeding grounds stretch from the Taimyr Peninsula to the Kolyma River.

A Rare Sight in Cornwall

This Arctic gull is an exceptionally rare visitor to Cornwall. As of February 2026, it has only been recorded in the county ten times.

The sighting drew interest from birdwatchers keen to catch a glimpse of a species far more at home in the remote Arctic than on the Cornish coast.

Delight at the Harbour

Rowena Castillo-Nicholls, Founder and Chair of Connect with Nature, RSPB Kernow Group Leader, and Publicity Officer of Cornwall Birds, said she was delighted to have seen the bird, describing it as wonderfully beautiful.

For many who made their way to Newlyn Harbour, the chance to see such a scarce Arctic visitor in Cornwall was a remarkable moment.