Citizen Science: Tracking guzzling Gulls

University of Salford academic Dr Alice Risely is looking into the food habits of guzzling gulls as part of a worldwide survey into their behaviour and dietary habits.  As part of her research she is looking for photos and contributions from around the world.

They might be well known for stealing the lunch straight out the hands of unsuspecting beachgoers, but ecologist Dr Alice Risely, of the University of Salford, has launched a call to action due to the “very little data” currently available on gulls and their “weird and wonderful” diet.

Hoping to uncover the reasons behind recent population changes of many gull species, Research Fellow Dr Alice Risely is asking for photos of gulls eating various foods for her new citizen science project,  Gulls Eating Stuff.  Dr Risely is requesting people from all over the world to upload their photos of gulls – quite literally – eating stuff. This will provide scientists with more information on what food resources and habitats are particularly important for gulls, allowing for a more accurate understanding of their ecology that could help facilitate coexistence between gulls and people.

Dr Risely’s call to action requests for people to register with CitSci.org to get involved with the project, which can help us reframe what we think we know about gulls.

She said: “We want to know all the weird and wonderful things gulls eat in order start collecting some data on gull diet.

“Our goal is to get people noticing gulls whilst also contributing to our understanding of gull diet and behaviour. We want to capture the huge diversity of gull diets and understand spatial and temporal trends in what they are eating. They are a truly fascinating group of species.

“There are six species of gull residing in the UK, with two – the Herring gull and Lesser black-backed gull – being large gulls that are becoming more urban and prone to nesting and foraging in towns and cities. These two species look quite similar, but the Herring gull has a light grey back and pink legs, and the Lesser black-backed gull has a darker grey back and yellow legs.

“By studying gulls’ diet, we can learn more about their behaviour, their role in ecosystems and the pressures they face in a changing world. Declining gull populations in natural coastal areas may be partly due to a reduction of food in these habitats, so identifying prey items may help us better protect gull breeding colonies in natural coastal regions that have traditionally been a stronghold for these species in the UK.

“Since starting the project, we have received hundreds of photos of gulls eating stuff, including urban diets of leftover curry, pilfered profiteroles, ice cream, and even vomit from the night before. However, members of the public have also submitted photos of gulls hunting and eating starfish, crabs, wild birds, pigeons, rats, and even one that had just caught a mole. Gulls are very efficient predators.”

Known for its seabird population, the UK has seen a significant decline in many of these species due to climate change, overfishing, and avian influenza. Projects such as Gulls Eating Stuff can provide valuable insights into why natural gull populations are in decline in their natural coastal habitats, but in flux in overall population trends across the UK. And multiple species have joined the UK red list of conservation concern.