Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Q I live 150 miles from the coast. Why do we have seagulls flying around a local strip
mall parking lot? I see them all the time.
A
The term
seagull
is technically correct only when referring to Jonathan Livingston or
to a gull that happens to be on the ocean, but it's widely used as a generic term for gulls
in general. A great many gulls spend their lives inland. The one that usually frequents
fast food restaurants and strip mall parking lots is the Ring-billed Gull. It feeds on slugs,
worms,andotherinvertebratesfoundonlawns,scavengesongarbage,andmoochesfrom
people. I've watched Ring-billed Gulls pluck warblers out of the air first thing in the
morning when the exhausted, tiny songbirds are coming down after a night's migration.
They also feed on fish. Their mouths are very wide, and their throat and esophagus ex-
pand to swallow an entire small fish.
