Seagulls prefer raw fish to chips

You might think that seagulls prefer chips to fish in the sea. You might think this because we often see pictures of seagulls taking chips and other human fast-food out of the hands of tourists at the seaside. Hounding those tourists into handing over the chips. The tourists retaliate sometimes as they are irritated by the incessant presence of these seagulls. It can lead to the occasional act of violence by a person such as when a man punched a seagull to death (he was subsequently prosecuted and fined).

But you’d be wrong if you thought they preferred chips to fish – which makes sense to me. This is according to a recent study. And before I briefly discuss that study I would like to mention the fact that one reason why seagulls are eagerly devouring chips and other human foods is because their natural food, fish, are not always readily available. And that is because of human activities.

RELATED: Seagulls scare the bejesus out of posties

Urban seagulls prefer fish – even when offered human-made foods, study shows. by Michael Broad

Our findings suggest that early-life diet, manipulated by the ratio of time the different foods were available, did not influence gull chicks’ food preferences. Instead, chicks developed a strong and persistent preference for marine foods, which appears to match adult gulls’ dietary switch to marine foods upon chick hatching and may reinforce the provisioning of marine foods during chick development. However, whether chicks in the wild would refuse provisioned foods, and to a sufficient extent to influence parental provisioning, requires further study. – The study. See citation at base of page.

It is human activity which has, on occasions, changed the feeding habits of seagulls. The study found that given a choice, seagull chicks raised on a human diet of bread and cat food showed more interest in meals that would normally arise because of foraging such as mackerel and sprat.

The lead author of the study, Emma Inzani, from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall, said “Even when reared on an ‘urban’ diet of foods found only around people, these chicks might be unlikely to seek out urban foods as adults.”

“Human-associated foods are often both reliably present and easy to obtain – but when fish is available they clearly prefer it.”

She confirm what I just said. The reason for this seagull behaviour is reduced fish numbers in the UK waters making it “not as profitable for gulls to spend a lot of energy going out to sea to forage”. In short, it’s a question of survival and how best to use one’s energy.

It may interest you to know that in the UK herring gulls are now on a list of highest conservation concern.

The study is published in the journal PeerJ. The researchers observed 27 chicks which had been rescued after falling off roofs in Cornwall.

Half of them were fed on a diet of 80% “urban food” (human food). It mainly consisted of brown bread and cat food. The remaining 20% were fed on seafood, whole mackerel and sprats and cooked mussels.

The simple result is that both groups preferred fish even those that were fed on the urban diet. Earlier research indicated that parenting seagulls often switch to finding more seafood once their chicks have hatched.

This is about seagulls exploiting urban areas for human food waste. It’s not untypical for many animals e.g. feral cats and bears. It doesn’t mean they thrive on these urban foods or prefer them. They are simply making the best of a bad situation.

I have a picture on my website of a mother seagull feeding a chick plastic. It is the most unnerving and upsetting picture you can see of animal conservation. This is about plastic pollution of the oceans. Yes, marine birds sometimes cannot differentiate between plastic particles and foods. Therefore they feed their chicks plastic which must kill them. In all these scenarios it is human behaviour which has negatively and dramatically altered marine bird behaviour.

Study citation: Inzani E, Kelley L, Thomas R, Boogert NJ. 2024. Early-life diet does not affect preference for fish in herring gulls (Larus argentatusPeerJ 12:e17565 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17565

Seagull’s diet

Seagulls are opportunistic feeders, meaning they don’t have a picky diet and will eat whatever they can find. Their natural diet consists of a wide variety of food items, including:

  • Fish and shellfish: This is a major part of their diet, especially for gulls that live near the coast. They will eat fish of all sizes, from small baitfish to dead whales.
  • Marine invertebrates: Crabs, lobsters, shrimp, and other sea creatures are also on the menu.
  • Insects: Seagulls will readily eat insects, especially during the breeding season when they are feeding their chicks.
  • Worms: Seagulls will eat earthworms and other worms that they find on land.
  • Small mammals: Seagulls will sometimes eat small mammals, such as mice and voles.
  • Birds and eggs: Seagulls will eat the eggs and chicks of other birds.
  • Carrion: Seagulls will scavenge on dead animals, such as fish, birds, and mammals.
  • Fruits and vegetables: Seagulls will also eat fruits and vegetables, especially if they are available in urban areas.
  • Human refuse: Seagulls are well-known for scavenging for food in landfills and garbage cans.

The specific food that a seagull eats will depend on a number of factors, such as the time of year, the location, and the availability of food. However, their diverse diet allows them to thrive in a variety of habitats.

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Post Category: Birds > seagulls