Watching sea gull behavior in winter

Gail Compton
Wildlife Discoveries
Published Saturday, January 03, 2009

Often nature simply shows up when I'm on base duty at the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. On Dec. 17, the sky was suddenly filled with seagulls. Wheeling overhead against an overcast sky, they were hard to identify but I began watching their actions. The smoothness of their circling was occasionally interrupted by quick sideways movements. I said to myself, "You know, that looks as if they're snatching flying insects from the sky!"

The next day Lighthouse volunteer, Jim Fincher, approached and said, "I think I've seen seagulls catching insects midair!" We were not crazy. After years of wildlife rehabilitation that included many gulls, I knew they had a taste for insects. I kept live crickets to feed to injured screech owls. One day I tossed a cricket onto my patio where "Charlie," an injured Ring-billed Gull, stayed during recovery. Charlie dashed over, eagerly snatched up the insect and demanded another.

He gobbled up several more and every day insisted he get his fair share. If you've ever had close encounters with seagulls, you won't be surprised they can be very clever and pushy about food. Seagulls are omnivorous and scavengers so trying to list everything they'll eat is a study in amazement: Sable Palm berries, dead and live fish, small rodents, insects, eggs of other birds and anything offered by humans who love to feed them. They are also capable of opening clams and shellfish.

Bread, popcorn and junk food are less than nutritious handouts. Resist the temptation to toss junk food and bread to gulls at the beach and spend more time watching their fascinating natural behaviors. Winter is the best time at the beach to practice observing wildlife behavior and what better than gull watching.

You'll begin to notice interactions between individuals and within a flock. Listen for different calls and watch body language linked with each call. In groups of Herring Gulls, a dominant gull will stretch its neck up with the beak held level as it approaches a gull it considers an intruder. A submissive gull points its beak at the sky.

Why do groups of birds all face the same direction when gathering on the beach? They face into the wind for quicker take off. All they have to do is spread their wings and the wind lifts them off the sand. Now you're ready to enter the fascinating world of gull behavior.

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