Things That Attract Seagulls

Commercial and recreational fishing boats often attract a parade of gulls who cruise along the boat's stern wake or circle overhead, waiting for a convenient meal. Boat crews frequently toss fish carcass scraps, unused bait and even food ingredients into the water, with the gulls often swooping up the debris before it can sink out of sight. Gulls' lightning-fast fishing skills also enable them to grab small marine creatures stirred up by the boat's propeller.

Ravenous great black-backed gulls, herring gulls and ring-billed gulls frequently congregate in foul-smelling landfills, seemingly attracted to food and other wastes. The gulls' ranks swell dramatically during migration seasons. Although the landfills primarily serve as a food source, gulls also appear to use the unlikely destination for socializing. Unfortunately, gulls leave behind unhygienic feces, and can even carry diseases to landfill workers. When gulls transport their food elsewhere, surrounding areas see a rise in garbage deposits and fecal contamination.

A fox, weasel or other predator who slinks into a gull breeding colony attracts airborne gulls from nearby and far-flung territories. Raucous gulls circle above the marauder's position, at times touching down near the predator before flying off again. While gulls whose nests are in danger might attack the intruder, other gulls seem apprehensive and timid, perhaps afraid the predator will mount a mass attack.

Gulls can gravitate to airborne prey, as demonstrated by silver gulls who cruise above Australia's Sydney Harbour Bridge during nighttime hours. Silver gulls consistently display this unconventional behavior, but their numbers increase when large groups of moths congregate around the bridge's bright lights. The opportunistic silver gulls swoop and dive through this easy-to-grab snack, which supplements their regular meals of insects gathered at dusk near other lights and bodies of water.