What Do Seagulls Eat? An Introduction to Seagull Feeding Habits

The seagull is a medium-sized gull, a migratory bird of the genus Larus in the family Laridae, distributed across Europe, Asia, and as far as Alaska and western North America. During migration it is seen in the various provinces of Northeast China, and it overwinters throughout the coastal areas including Hainan Island and Taiwan, China, and is also found in most inland lakes and rivers of East China and South China. Let's take a look below at what seagulls eat!

What do seagulls eat?

Seagulls feed on coastal insects, mollusks, crustaceans, and worms and grubs in cultivated fields. They also prey on small fish near the shore and pick up leftover scraps discarded on the shore and from boats. Some large gull species prey on the eggs and young chicks of other birds (including their own kind). Besides feeding on fish, shrimp, crabs, and shellfish, seagulls also love to pick up and eat the leftover scraps thrown away by people on boats, which is why the seagull has the nickname “harbor cleaner.” Around ports, docks, bays, and ships they are almost regular visitors. Along the routes of sailing ships, seagulls will also follow in their wake, and even strolling on the beach at low tide will startle a flock of seagulls into flight.

Seagull Breeding Habits

Seagulls breed from April to August each year. They nest in colonies on the ground or on rocky beaches along coasts, islands, and riverbanks. They usually nest on inland freshwater or saltwater lakes and marshes, and also nest on small seaside islands. In some places the nests are very densely packed, with two nests just 1 to 2 m apart. Each parent bird marks out its own “territory” and does not allow other birds to intrude. The nests are mostly placed on the ground close to the water's edge, on small islands in the water, on reed piles, and on earthen mounds. The nest is very simple, built up from seaweed, dry grass, small twigs, feathers, and the like into a shallow dish shape, sometimes also with a small amount of reeds. Each clutch contains 2 to 4 eggs, which are green or olive brown. The male and female take turns incubating the eggs, and the incubation period is 22 to 28 days.

Seagull Protection Status

The seagull has a wide distribution range and does not approach the thresholds for the vulnerable or endangered criteria of species survival (distribution area or fluctuation range less than 20,000 sq km, habitat quality, population size, fragmentation of distribution area), and its population trend is stable. Therefore, it is evaluated as a species with no survival crisis. However, the seagull has currently been included in the “List of Terrestrial Wild Animals under State Protection that Are Beneficial or of Important Economic or Scientific Research Value” issued by China's State Forestry Administration on August 1, 2000, and included in the “IUCN Red List of Threatened Species” (IUCN) 2012 ver3.1——Least Concern (LC).