• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Unusual interaction between Herring Gull & Shore Crabs (1 Viewer)

cjay

Well-known member
.

At Lake Lothing Lowestoft Suffolk small numbers of adult & 1st Winter Herring Gulls often use the jetty posts for loafing spots during the day. More often than not the birds never take part in any feeding activities. During a break in the rain on 2nd January I visited this site & as on Sunday last, an adult winter Herring Gull was paddling in the shallows at low tide & by immersing it’s head & front part of the body would come up with a Green Shore Crab Carcinus maenas, known by Sea Anglers as a peeler crab due to the removal of it’s shell during growth. The bird would then fly the short distance to one of the jetties & parade up & down its length with the crab wriggling in its bill. The Gull did not attempt to eat the crab but would after a fashion drop the creature back into the water.

Why this bird exhibited this sort of behaviour is beyond me. I can only assume that the crab was not soft enough for eating or was it just the feeding instinct taking over.
The bird was not a youngster unpracticed in the art of food gathering. Perhaps some eccentricity to pass the time of day?

I look forward to comments

CJ
 
Gulls are not well known to me, although we have many here and more on the coast. I know, I know, shame on me...

We were on the coast in Oregon, Cannon Beach to be exact. We were walking enjoying the Pacific early(6am) one morning.. and we happened upon one of many gulls.This gull was doing something amazing(to me anyway)

I watched with absolute fascination as this gull caught a starfish.. and attempted to swallow this object from the sea... this gull dropped it ,picked it back up... manuevered it up in the air... juggled it around and without doubt it was the most interesting thing to watch.
Standing on the sidelines were other gulls seemingly waiting for the dropping of said morsel... As I watched and moved in ;the gull moved away with the onlookers following close on the feathers of this determined gull... he finally flew off to a rock out in the water and I might tell you when I last saw this gull he was still attempting to swallow whole this smallish starfish.

We had another occasion to watch a Herring Gull pick at a crab shell... it was most wonderful to see the single mindedness of these birds.. I threw an apple core and watched a Pacific Crow and a Herring Gull fight over it... the crow won!!!
 
I know nothing about gulls CJ, especially those in your area, but judging from what I have learned about other birds perhaps the gull was performing some kind of mating or territorial act.

This is only a possibility. There must be someone out there who knows about gulls.
 
Warning! This thread is more than 21 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top