What Do Seagulls Eat? A Complete Guide!

Seagulls are classified as members of Kingdom Animalia. These birds came under the phylum Chordata and class-specific to them is called Aves. These are members of the family Laridae and order Charadriiformes. Seagulls are a much known and successful family of birds and are distributed all over the world. Almost 50 species of seagulls are present in the world.

Most of these birds are migratory. During winter they move towards the warmer areas, but their migration depends on their species and varies according to them. Some of them migrate long distances in the extreme winter season and then came back to their local habitat.

These are monogamous and breed one time a year. The breeding season lasts for three to four months. A few weeks before inhabiting a colony, they collect other members of the same species to form a family and then travel in a group.

Seagull characteristics and their types

They have black greyish feathers and webbed feet. Their size, pattern, and shape vary from area to area. Their bill is heavy and strong. The color of the bill is usually yellow and has a red spot on it.

Seagulls mostly live-in coastal areas of the northern hemisphere and they can assemble near coastal areas. The ideal place for seagulls to spend time near cold water. They often feed on dead bodies of sea animals such as whales and other large fishes. These birds drink fresh and saltwater.              

The salt cannot remain in the body of seagulls because they have special glands which pass out salt in the environment. This is the reason why seagulls prefer living near the coastal areas because ocean water makes them hydrated throughout the day.

These birds are scavengers and prove their skills by regularly picking up food in front of us. Their food range is very flexible and they can change their feeding items according to their surroundings.

They eat crustaceans, mollusks, and krill. They love to eat little shrimp and shellfish. They are good hunters from the surface of the water and sometimes they dive themselves in water in search of food. They are modest in consuming food items in the water and easily eat sea animals both live and dead ones.

Types of seagulls include

What Do Seagulls Eat? List of Food Items

Seagulls eat reptiles, fish, rodents, insects, and many other organisms, like their food. These are omnivores and are much efficient in hunting and scavenging. They mostly live in groups ranging from few to hundreds in number. They vary in size and hunt together in search of food. Seagulls are not particular in one thing to eat; they prefer meals of different types of food. Bread is not healthy for them, so we should add the bread in minimum quantity in their food. They often prefer some mollusks and invertebrates in their diet.

They commonly eat

Fish

Similar to other birds living near the sea, seagulls can also eat fish. They grasp smaller fishes including mackerel, herring, and smelt. In groups, they can approach larger fishes such as tilapia and tuna.

Crabs

They regularly search for live and dead crabs. To have live crabs, extraordinary skills are required which seagulls have and they eat a large crab of 5 or more inches in a single go. They mostly cannot break their hard solid covering, so they throw the crab from a distance to break its shell to have meat inside. Seagulls can consume even starfish in their food.

Insects and worms

All species of seagulls eat insects including grubs, flies, different types of earthworms, arthropods, and beetles. These birds hunt insects while flying, drinking, or picking up food from the ground. They usually visit areas of land after harvesting in search of scattered worms and insects in the surroundings.

Shellfish and other invertebrates

While chasing for grabs, they fly over a solid surface and drop down their prey to break their shell. During hunting, seagulls use their beaks to split the exoskeletons of different organisms.

Berries, fruits, and nuts

Fruits and nuts are good sources of vitamins, fats, and sugars for seagulls. The nutrients which are in their access, are excellent sources of instant energy. Their atmosphere and surroundings decide the types of food for them. They usually prefer unsalted and unsweet nuts.

Bread

They eat any piece of bread they offered but bread and other processed foods are not safe for them nutritionally. It is not an ideal food for them. We should avoid offering them such kind of food which is not good for the health of seagulls.

Method of finding food

Being intelligent birds, they have great vision and good smell sense. Whenever they locate a meal, they secure that first before the arrival of any other predator. They are having a long bill hooked on the other side, which helps them in searching and eating fish. They drink salty water which plays a vital role in their survival. They can travel to far places in search of food without dehydrating.

They prefer the food which is touched by humans because they found that food safe. They use different food items to attract fish to come to the surface and then they eat them. Seagulls rarely find problems in search of food in the air, water, or land.

Whenever you visit the seaside, spot an open area away from flocks to avoid their attacking. They love to eat, nuts, chips, bread and some fruits or vegetable pieces. Do not offer them oily food, has sugar or salts in larger amounts, and empty wrappers. They can catch their prey while flying with the help of their beak and wings.

They have an excellent vision, which helps them in catching their prey easily. They move in flocks together to learn hunting skills and search for food for themselves and their babies. Seagulls are having large, wide, and unhinged haws which help them to engulf their food as a whole. They can consume a large quantity of food in their esophagus in one gulp.

Food for baby seagulls

Until 2 to 3 weeks, baby chicks are so weak and are dependent on their parents. babies of seagulls eat processed food from their parents. In this period, babies eat regurgitated food from their parents. Mother gives babies protection and the father goes out in search of food and comes back to feed them.

Once they grow up, they will find food from their surroundings for their own. For almost one and a half months, they remain under the custody of their parents to save them from danger. When the babies become mature, they flew away permanently. They adopt an adult diet after some days of fledging.

Diet in winter season

The Winter season is not mostly easy for other birds in the context of searching for food but seagulls comfortably pass this season with fewer hurdles. Some birds migrate towards the areas of warm waters and some stay near their surroundings if winter is not that harsh. They mostly move to the areas where winter storms do not affect the weather conditions. In cold weather, they eat small birds, fish, small mammals, insects, human foods, some seeds, garbage, and suet. Some seagulls live in populated areas or near the coastlines, they depend on discarded food and garbage. The birds living in distant areas, eat fish and some insects.

Food items that should be avoided

We should avoid offering seagulls with processed items having high amounts of fat, salt, and sugar content. Anything in excess can cause problems related to their health. Caffeine and chocolate-related foods can cause an increase in heart rate, vomiting, seizures, and diarrhea which can cause the death of seagulls.

Even a minute quantity of these types of food has a deteriorating effect on their living. Chemical substances present in vegetables including garlic and onions lead to anemia in seagulls. The acid which is found in avocados called persin is also lethal for seagulls in terms of breathing and heart-related problems. Therefore, we should avoid offering these food items to seagulls.

Side effects of depending on human food

When seagulls become dependent on humans for food, they lost interest in their natural seeking skills and natural food. They hunt food from tables of gatherings of humans and they find it much easier than hunting fish and other insects.

This habit is dangerous for seagulls because sometimes they accidentally grab harmful objects. Depending on the garbage, they can eat small pieces of glass which can be very dangerous for them. We should avoid throwing our garbage in open places. 

For eating human food, they remain more vulnerable to danger including accidents with fast-moving vehicles, hunted by large animals such as cats and foxes, or by spreading diseases to other birds including their flocks.