This is why you don’t feed seagulls. Even a GoPro might look like food to a Seagull, or at least something shiny that might be possible to cart off. Seagulls aren’t terribly bright and this one probably didn’t realize what it had, or it might have left the thing there. Obviously when it could no longer hold onto the GoPro the gull let it drop. Trying to pick it up didn’t prove to be any easier so it finally just took off and left it. I’d like to sigh now and wonder just what the person with the GoPro was thinking, whether they wanted the gull to take the camera or not. Honestly I’m not sure what they were trying to see if they did want the gull to take it, since gulls don’t tend to lead that exciting of a life aside from eating scraps of just about anything they can find, standing on the beach waiting for stuff to come in on the tide, or possibly just sitting on the water doing absolutely nothing. Now I’m sure that’s not right, they do something all day, but it’s still not much more than look for food and possibly just wander around being a nuisance to those that feed them and those that think they’re little more than a garbage bird. I have sat and watched seagulls from sunrise to sunset, and it is not that exciting unless you’re a bird fanatic and it’s your job to document what they do. Even then I’m sure that those who choose such a profession need a break now and then.
Having come from a coastal town I can further attest that the only other bird that can come close to being as annoying as a seagull is a crow. They are useful birds no matter how annoying they seem, since as scavengers they do consume dead things and trash that they find lying around. But if you’ve ever been ‘laughed’ at by a seagull then you know just how irritating they can be. They’re not all that troublesome unless you’ve been feeding them or have food to offer. Some are so bold that they’d gladly take it out of your hand if you’re not careful, while others have a healthy fear of mankind and will at least keep their distance. Gulls are a strange type of bird in that they’re used to mankind but will approach them on their own terms. Crows are a little less forgiving and won’t approach people nearly as often unless food is involved. Gulls will actually move towards humans in expectation of being fed since so many people, like this person in the clip, think it’s wise to encourage that kind of behavior.
I do recall feeding the gulls when I was a young kid. I would give them small pieces of bread that I would scatter on the beach. In mere seconds it would all be gone, and shortly after that I would do what most people do when they see a flock of gulls on the beach, I’d run at them and watch them fly off. They’re a thieving bird, but they are still necessary to an ecosystem.
Follow Us
