An Iceland Gull stands in a parking lot. Parking lots have become food-rich feeding grounds for many gulls. Photo by Frank Izaguirre.
An American Herring Gull stares at the photographer, no doubt wondering if it can eat him. Photo by Frank Izaguirre.
Gulls eating stuff is platinum-level material for viral birding content, so perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise there’s a new citizen science project that anyone can use to document and submit photos of gulls eating anything, from surprising prey to human food to plastic trash. The project is called Gulls Eating Stuff, and the URL is https://citsci.org/projects/gulls-eating-stuff/. The project has a companion Instagram account, @gulls_eating_stuff, that showcases the most outlandish submissions.
Alice Risely, an animal ecologist at the University of Salford in the U.K., is the mastermind behind the project. Fascinated by how urbanization and waste affect gull diets, as well as the remarkable ability of gulls to adapt to their environments, Risely hopes to capitalize on the human fascination with gulls and gull behaviors, not to mention the meme potential of gulls, to contribute to an academic understanding of gull behavior in a changing world.
Gulls in a Lake County, Illinois, landfill contemplate the many culinary options available to them. Photo by Greg Neise.
As many birders know, gulls are opportunistic omnivores, often finding food in human environments, and thus ideal subjects for studying how anthropogenic materials influence wildlife. Gulls are also widespread, conspicuous, and just kind of fun.
So what are gulls eating? Fish, crustaceans, and other beach creatures of course, but also rabbits, donuts, and other birds, including chicks. One submission is of a European Herring Gull inside a Burger King, presumably stalking any stray French fries or other greasy fast food delicacies.
Collecting these varied observations together can help ecologists understand how pollution and food availability impact these birds and their environment. Patterns can be studied and inform conservation and communication with the public regarding waste management and the ethics of feeding wildlife.
A Lesser Black-backed Gull stands amidst the beach foam. What the heck is it eating? Photo by Frank Izaguirre.
If you’re interested in the project and have material to contribute, upload gull sightings showing feeding behavior, especially with surprising food items, to the project page. You don’t need to identify the species.
You can also post photos on social media using the hashtag #gullseatstuff and tag the project on Instagram. Encourage any friends you know who might be interested to participate, and keep your eyes open next time you’re at the landfill. Even if you don’t find a rare gull, maybe that Ring-billed will eat something rare.
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