A university is trying to solve the biggest beach holiday riddle of all … what delicious foods and wildlife attracts hungry seagulls the most? Often vilified for swiping chips or ice cream out of your hands as you relax on the sand, a University of Salford scientist is keen to better understand seagulls’ “weird and wonderful” diet.
Ecologist Dr Alice Risely bemoaned the “very little data” on gulls and their favourite or preferred foods – so has launched a unique study into the legally-protected seabirds by asking for images of them eating, anywhere in the world. Dr Risely is hoping to uncover the reasons behind recent population changes of many gull species and is asking for the photos of gulls wolfing down different snacks for her new ‘citizen science’ project, ‘Gulls Eating Stuff’.
Uploading the images of the gulls tucking into a range of their choicest treats could provide scientists with more information on what food resources and habitats are particularly important to them.
Already the public have sent in images of gulls feasting on curries and leftover profiteroles – but also starfish, pigeons and even a mole.
And it will also allow for a more accurate understanding of their ecology that could help facilitate coexistence between gulls and people.
Dr Risely’s call to action requests for people to register with CitSci.org to get involved with the project, which can help us reframe what we think we know about gulls.
She said: “We want to know all the weird and wonderful things gulls eat in order start collecting some data on gull diet.
“Our goal is to get people noticing gulls whilst also contributing to our understanding of gull diet and behaviour.
“We want to capture the huge diversity of gull diets and understand spatial and temporal trends in what they are eating. They are a truly fascinating group of species.
“There are six species of gull residing in the UK, with two – the Herring gull and Lesser black-backed gull – being large gulls that are becoming more urban and prone to nesting and foraging in towns and cities.
“These two species look quite similar, but the Herring gull has a light grey back and pink legs, and the Lesser black-backed gull has a darker grey back and yellow legs.
“By studying gulls’ diet, we can learn more about their behaviour, their role in ecosystems and the pressures they face in a changing world.”
Some gulls are coming to live closer to people, adding human leftovers to their natural menu of fish, crabs, starfish and earthworms.
The birds may be flocking to urban areas to find food to feed their chicks during the breeding season, switching back to a natural diet once their youngsters have fledged.
Alternatively, gulls may be relying on human leftovers for much of the year as the natural food supply dwindles.
“The fact is we just really don’t know – there is very little data,” said Dr Risely.
“This is why we wanted to exploit this resource of online photos to try and help us understand what the gulls are eating, and if there are any patterns we can find.”
Three gull species are on the UK red list of conservation concern: The great black-backed gull – a very large gull with black wings and a powerful beak that nests around the coast, on clifftops, rooftops and islands; The common gull – a medium-sized gull scarcer than its name suggests that nests around lakes in the north of England and Scotland and the grey-backed and pink-legged herring gull.
Known for its seabird population, the UK has seen a significant decline in many of these species due to climate change, overfishing, and avian influenza.
It is illegal to intentionally injure or kill gulls or destroy their nests as the birds are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.
Projects such as Gulls Eating Stuff can provide valuable insights into why natural gull populations are in decline in their natural coastal habitats, but in flux in overall population trends across the UK.
Dr Risley added: “Declining gull populations in natural coastal areas may be partly due to a reduction of food in these habitats,.
“So identifying prey items may help us better protect gull breeding colonies in natural coastal regions that have traditionally been a stronghold for these species in the UK.
“Since starting the project, we have received hundreds of photos of gulls eating stuff, including urban diets of leftover curry, pilfered profiteroles, ice cream, and even vomit from the night before.
“However, members of the public have also submitted photos of gulls hunting and eating starfish, crabs, wild birds, pigeons, rats, and even one that had just caught a mole. Gulls are very efficient predators.
“Hopefully what will come out of it in terms of public education, it’s the gulls are not just scavengers, they’re predators.
“A lot of them are actually out there eating quite natural prey items; eating worms, but also eating chicks and some small mammals, and kind of acting like a normal wild animal should.”
To submit a gull-eating picture visit – https://citsci.org/projects/gulls-eating-stuff/