From pilfering chips to swallowing whole starfish, gulls are known for their voracious appetites.
However, one scientist was so astounded to see pictures on social media of gulls eating “weird and wonderful things” that she launched a citizen science project to study their shifting diets.
University of Salford ecologist Dr Alice Risely wants people to upload their snaps of hungry gulls to the project’s website, Gulls Eating Stuff.
“By studying gulls’ diet, we can learn more about their behaviour, their role in ecosystems and the pressures they face in a changing world,” she said.
UK seabirds face threats from warming oceans, overfishing and avian flu.
Gull populations are in decline, with several species on the UK red list of conservation concern.
Some gulls are coming to live closer to people, adding human leftovers to their natural menu of fish, crabs, starfish and earthworms.
The birds may be flocking to urban areas to find food to feed their chicks during the breeding season, switching back to a natural diet once their youngsters have fledged.
Alternatively, gulls may be relying on human leftovers for much of the year as the natural food supply dwindles.
“The fact is we just really don’t know – there is very little data,” said Dr Risely.
“This is why we wanted to exploit this resource of online photos to try and help us understand what the gulls are eating, and if there are any patterns we can find.”
One particularly striking photograph shows a gull eating a baby
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