The Herring Gull is a medium-sized gull that is found across much of the Northern Hemisphere. As an omnivorous scavenger and predator, the Herring Gull has a varied diet and is eaten by a number of different animals.
Quick Answers
Some quick answers to the question “What animals eat Herring Gull?”:
– Foxes eat Herring Gull eggs and chicks.
– Raccoons will prey on gull nests.
– Hawks, falcons, and eagles eat adult and young Herring Gulls.
– Crows and ravens will eat eggs and chicks.
– Herring Gulls are sometimes preyed upon by coyotes, bobcats, snakes, and weasels.
– Killer whales and sharks are known to eat Herring Gulls in coastal areas.
Eggs and Chicks
Herring Gull eggs and chicks are vulnerable to predation by many animals as they cannot fly away or adequately defend themselves. Some key predators of gull eggs and chicks include:
- Foxes – Red foxes and Arctic foxes will readily eat gull eggs and chicks if they come across a nest. Foxes are able to climb and reach nests in cliffsides and on rooftops.
- Raccoons – Raccoons are adept climbers and will eat eggs and chicks from nests, especially those on rooftops and man-made structures.
- Crows & Ravens – Common Ravens and American Crows are known to eat the eggs and chicks of gulls if they can gain access to the nest. They will also sometimes kill the adults to get to the vulnerable young.
- Hawks – Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, Northern Goshawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and other raptors prey on young gulls and may even attack the adult birds.
- Snakes – Certain snakes like rat snakes, fox snakes, and racers eat eggs and chicks if they find their way into a nest.
- Weasels – Least weasels and other small weasels are able climbers that will feed on eggs and chicks.
- Seagulls – Adult gulls including Herring Gulls are sometimes cannibalistic and may eat eggs or chicks of their own or other species.
Mammalian and avian predators rely heavily on their senses of smell and sight to locate unguarded gull nests during the breeding season. The eggs and chicks are protein-rich easy meals, leading them to be targeted by opportunistic predators.
Fledglings and Juveniles
Young Herring Gulls, known as fledglings, are vulnerable to predators for several weeks after they leave the nest and before they learn to fly well. Some key predators of fledgling gulls include:
- Foxes
- Coyotes
- Raccoons
- Feral Cats
- Raptors – Peregrine Falcons, Gyrfalcons, Bald Eagles
- Crows & Ravens
- Other larger gull species
- Jackals
Fledgling Herring Gulls stay close to the nest site initially where they are more susceptible to predation. Parent gulls will attempt to defend and protect fledglings, but cannot always keep predators at bay.
Even once Herring Gulls learn to fly competently, juveniles under 2 years old may still fall prey to predators, though less frequently. Their feathers provide camouflage from a distance, but they lack the complete white plumage of adults.
Adults
Adult Herring Gulls have fewer natural predators thanks to their large size, loud calls, and ability to mob predators in large numbers. But some predators do still kill and eat adult Herring Gulls.
- Eagles – White-tailed Eagles are the main eagle predator of Herring Gulls in Europe, while Bald Eagles prey on them in North America.
- Peregrine Falcons – These fast falcons prey on many seabirds, and can catch adult gulls in mid-flight.
- Great Black-backed Gulls – The larger Great Black-backed Gull will kill and eat Herring Gulls, including adults.
- Raccoons – Raccoons will attack and eat adult gulls if they can ambush them at night on nesting colonies.
- Foxes – Foxes grab unattended adult gulls resting on the ground or preoccupied at nests.
- Coyotes – Coyotes are sometimes able to snag resting adult gulls on beaches or landfills.
- Bobcats – Their stealth helps bobcats grab unwary roosting or nesting adult gulls.
- Killer Whales – Killer whales patrol coastal areas and eat various seabirds, including occasionally taking Herring Gulls.
- Sharks – Large sharks like great whites are capable of grabbing gulls sitting on the water.
The predators able to take full-grown Herring Gulls rely on stealth, speed, numbers, and the element of surprise. Adult Herring Gulls are normally alert and able to take flight quickly, making capturing them difficult.
Scavenged Remains
In addition to predators that directly kill and eat Herring Gulls, there are many animals that will scavenge the remains of dead gulls for food.
These opportunistic scavengers include:
- Crows
- Ravens
- Vultures
- Foxes
- Coyotes
- Feral dogs and cats
- Rats
- Eagles
- Other gulls
- Crabs and shellfish
Seabirds like gulls often die while out at sea and wash up along coastlines. Scavengers who find the remains make use of the nutritious food source.
Defense against Predators
Herring Gulls have evolved several defenses that help protect them against predators:
- Mobbing – Gulls will aggresively mob predators like hawks and eagles in large numbers to drive them away from nesting areas.
- Camouflage eggs – Their brown speckled eggs serve as camouflage to reduce detection from predators like crows.
- Distraction displays – Adults will sometimes feign injury to distract predators from eggs or chicks in the nest.
- Roosting in groups – Roosting together provides safety in numbers and allows them to detect predators.
- Nesting in isolated cliffs and rooftops – This makes nest access harder for mammalian predators.
- Aggressive fights – They will aggressively fight many intruders to defend themselves, their young, and territory.
While Herring Gulls have adaptations to avoid predators, they still inevitably lose many eggs and young birds to predation each year. The wide variety of predators is a constant evolutionary pressure.
Summary
In summary, Herring Gull eggs, chicks, fledglings, juveniles and adults are preyed upon by a diverse array of predators including:
- Foxes
- Raccoons
- Crows & Ravens
- Hawks
- Eagles
- Peregrine Falcons
- Great Black-backed Gulls
- Snakes
- Weasels
- Coyotes
- Bobcats
- Feral Cats
- Killer Whales
- Sharks
In addition, many scavengers will feed on the carcasses of dead gulls. The specific predators depend on the age of the gull and geographic location. Defenses like nesting on cliffs and mobbing help protect gulls but cannot eliminate predation threats completely.
The wide range of animals that eat Herring Gulls keeps the population in check and serves as an ongoing selective pressure that has shaped the evolution of anti-predator traits in this adaptable seabird species.
Detailed Look at Key Predators
Foxes
Foxes are the most ubiquitous land predator of Herring Gulls, feeding on eggs, chicks, fledglings, injured adults, and scavenged remains. Red foxes, Arctic foxes, and gray foxes all prey regularly on gulls.
Foxes use their excellent sense of smell to locate unguarded nests, even those high up on cliffs or rooftops. They are skilled climbers and can scramble up to nests to steal eggs. Foxes may cache surplus eggs for later feeding. The eggs provide a high-calorie, high-protein meal.
Foxes also snatch unattended chicks from the nest. They consume chicks whole and are able to carry more than one at a time in their mouths. Like eggs, chicks are an easily accessible source of nutrition for foxes.
Coastal-dwelling foxes may wait below cliff nesting sites for young fledgling gulls to fall or get pushed from the nests. They will also snag fledglings struggling to walk or fly on the ground. Fledglings lack the size, strength, and mobility to evade foxes.
Though less common, foxes are sometimes able to ambush injured, sick, or sleeping adult gulls. Their opportunistic and adaptable feeding habits make foxes the top land predator of Herring Gulls.
Raccoons
The masked bandit of the bird world, raccoons are adept at raiding gull colonies for eggs and chicks, especially in urban areas. Raccoons exploit their intelligence and immense dexterity to access nests.
Using their front paws to manipulate objects, raccoons unlock doors, unzip tents, untie knots, and deactivate traps that obstruct their path to nesting gulls. They climb drainpipes, trees, chimneys, fire escapes, masts, poles, wires, and cranes with ease to reach rooftop colonies.
Once they penetrate a colony’s defenses, raccoons greedily destroy every nest in sight, eating eggs and killing or carrying off multiple chicks at once. They may even prey on fledglings and resting adults in addition to pillaging nests.
Raccoons sometimes wash eggs in water before eating them. Urban-dwelling gulls have adapted to avoid predation by nesting on taller, slanted, or spiked surfaces, but raccoons continue finding ways to foil these deterrents.
Hawks & Eagles
Raptors are a serious predatory threat to gulls, especially young birds and fledglings. The hooked beaks and sharp talons of hawks, eagles, falcons, ospreys, and owls all seize gull prey effectively.
Sharp-shinned hawks and Cooper’s hawks are adept at speedily snatching chicks from nests, surprising the parents before they can react. They usually carry prey back to eat while perched in trees or other high vantage points.
Larger hawks like Northern goshawks, Harris’s hawks, red-tailed hawks, and common buzzards all actively hunt and prey on gulls of varying ages. Their broad wingspans allow them to strike at forceful speeds.
Among eagles, white-tailed eagles and bald eagles are most likely to hunt gulls. Bald eagles frequent coastal areas and readily eat gull fledglings and wintering juveniles. Their massive talons can kill prey instantly.
Peregrine falcons are the fastest raptor, capable of diving at speeds over 200 mph to knock gulls out of the sky with deadly force. Even adult gulls struggle to evade their lightning-fast assaults. No gull is safe from the peregrine’s blazing speed and aerobatic prowess.
Crows & Ravens
Crows and ravens are highly intelligent, social corvids that cooperate to stealthily locate and rob gull nests. Their all-black plumage helps them sneak through colonies undetected.
Common ravens and American crows work together to search for unattended nests from vantage points like trees, cliffs, and telephone poles near colonies. Once a vulnerable nest is identified, they take turns swooping in to steal and eat eggs or kill chicks.
Crows and ravens may even depredate nests in broad daylight if both adult gulls are distracted or chased off. Their cognitive abilities, aerial agility, numbers, and boldness make them formidable nest predators.
In addition to eggs and chicks, they also opportunistically eat injured fledglings, afterbirth, and carrion from dead gulls. Ravens in particular cannot resist scavenging remains.
Gulls attempt to thwart corvids by nesting on isolated sea stacks, slanted rooftops, and by mobbing them in flight. But crows and ravens continue finding inventive ways to pilfer nests successfully and satiate their appetite for eggs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Herring Gulls face predation during every stage of life from egg to adulthood. Foxes, raccoons, raptors, corvids, and other wildlife are attracted to the high-energy food source that gulls provide. This creates constant evolutionary pressure for gulls to adapt better defenses.
Urban predators like raccoons are especially adept at cracking eggs and raiding nests. The intelligent, climbing, and manipulating abilities of raccoons make them a formidable match for nesting gulls. Only the most isolated or protected colonies can resist their perpetual raids.
While adult gulls have fewer predators, the incredible speed and aerial command of Peregrine Falcons still poses a lethal threat. No gull is safe from the Peregrine’s blistering hunting stoops. This is a reminder that even powerful adult gulls have vulnerabilities.
Understanding what preys on Herring Gulls provides insight into their population dynamics, behavior, adaptations, and evolutionary history. The diversity of gull predators ensures these highly adaptable and resourceful seabirds maintain healthy populations and genetic variation without overpopulating sensitive ecosystems.