Buzz
Seagulls may seem pretty unremarkable when it comes to birds. These white, bothersome creatures tend to circle around boardwalks and beaches, patiently waiting for you to look away from your funnel cake for just a moment. But is that all there is to know? Actually, there are a few surprising things about these birds that you might not expect.
10. Forest-Dwelling Gulls
While larger seagulls typically live near the coast and nest on rocky islets, the mew gull takes a different approach. Not only does it nest inland, but it also prefers to build its home in the tops of trees. Unlike most 'white-headed' gulls, the mew gull lacks any markings on its bill. It's often recognized by its dove-like appearance and the harsh call that gives it its distinctive name.
9. Hitchcock Was Right
In Alfred Hitchcock’s film The Birds, American herring gulls were depicted as relentless, winged stalkers of humans. But surprisingly, this wasn’t just a work of fiction. European herring gulls have been known to cause severe injuries and even deaths through aggressive territorial attacks.
In response, local authorities have installed spiky pole covers and even deployed trained falcons to deter the birds at places like airports and landfills. Postal workers have been temporarily reassigned from danger zones, and advice for surviving a gull attack has even appeared in The Guardian. But things take an even darker turn. In Argentina, gulls have been seen ripping flesh from whales that surface, sending shockwaves through conservation groups.
8. A Mormon Symbol
Among gull species, the California gull stands out as particularly clever. Unlike most gulls, this type prefers nesting in inland areas and often migrates through farmlands. In these settings, insects make up a significant portion of their diet. This behavior contributed to the Mormon reverence for the California gull, which they saw as a divine gift from Elohim.
During the Mormon settlers' struggles near Salt Lake City, their crops were under attack by devastating locust swarms. That's when massive flocks of gulls arrived, feasting on the locusts and saving the crops. In gratitude, the Mormons held the gulls in high regard, even erecting a stone monument in their honor, which still stands in Salt Lake City today.
7. The Bad Apples
Gulls have no respect for species boundaries and won't hesitate to eat other gull species, occasionally even engaging in cannibalism. Several gull species are known to steal chicks from neighboring nests and consume them. In a particularly eerie study, an ornithologist observed a disturbing weekly trend in one species’ cannibalistic behavior. On Sundays, the violence escalated: the gulls not only pilfered chicks to eat, but sometimes even fed on their own. It seems that the availability of food, influenced by human trawling cycles, makes cannibalism a more appealing option when trawlers are absent on Sundays.
6. Sword Swallowers?
At first glance, the glaucous-winged gull might seem like just another ordinary gull. But this large bird surprises with its incredible hunting abilities, rivaling even the most talented sword swallowers. Its prey? The purple sea star, which can measure over 15 centimeters (6 inches) across. Swallowing such a tough, spiny creature is no easy feat. A plausible explanation for this oddity is that the rough texture of the starfish serves as a form of “roughage” for the gull.
5. Unique Adaptations
Gulls have a few clever adaptations that help them thrive. Their wings have a higher aspect ratio than many other birds, making them especially skilled at maneuvering through the air. Adult gulls also have distinct markings on their bills that act as visual signals for their chicks. To prompt adults to regurgitate food, the chicks will peck at this spot.
As marine birds, gulls are often far from fresh water sources. To adapt, they have specialized bills that allow them to filter out the salt from seawater, making it drinkable when needed.
4. They’re Celebrities
The smallest gull species in most of North America is a petite bird with a black head, white body, and red bill and legs, known as the Bonaparte’s gull. Named after Charles Lucien Bonaparte, who was Napoleon Bonaparte’s illegitimate cousin, this gull is a true standout.
Sometimes, individual gulls make headlines. In January 2009, the appearance of a solid-white ivory gull in the UK attracted crowds of avid birdwatchers to catch a glimpse of the rare marine species. News stories and photos of the bird even made the front pages of newspapers and were featured in television broadcasts.
3. Oddball Gulls
While many of the world’s 44 gull species follow a fairly typical appearance and behavior, there are some truly unusual ones among them. The lava gull, which has adapted to life on volcanic islands, sports a black body from bill to wingtip. Meanwhile, the swallow-tailed gull of the Galapagos Islands is a nocturnal hunter—uncommon for gulls—specializing in hunting squid under the moonlight.
2. A Stranger Tale Of Gull Death
Despite being among the top predators in the food chain, gulls sometimes find themselves prey to other, more powerful hunters. One of the greatest threats to gulls in many areas is the sea eagle, including the notorious bald eagle. These hungry predators dive into flocks of gulls, snatch one, and either crush it to death or drown it. When a single gull is resting on the water, the eagle will repeatedly swoop down until the bird is exhausted and submerged. Perhaps the most unusual attack ever recorded involved an octopus seizing a gull in Victoria, British Columbia, dragging it underwater, and presumably devouring it.
1. They’re Big And Small
The great black-backed gull holds the title of the largest gull on the planet, with a wingspan stretching up to 1.5 meters (around 5 feet), giving it the appearance of a small eagle. On the other hand, the smallest gull, known as the little gull, boasts a wingspan roughly one-third of that size, measuring just over 0.5 meters (2 feet).
