Predatory Gull....

[Arthur Morris]

On my recent visits to the skimmer colony at Nickerson Beach, near Point Lookout, NY, one or two Great Black-backed Gulls would (individually) kill (though I personally never saw the kill) and devour a young Black Skimmer or two. This always took place at the western end of the colony (though I have know clue as to why....)

Over the past 30 years I have seen the following:

A GBBG grab a yoyung skimmer by the head, shake it, and break its neck in 3 seconds flat at JBWR.

A GBBG knock a Glossy Ibis to the ground as it flew over a marsh, this also at JBWR.

A GBBG grab a Mallard by the wing in an attempt to kill it. The Mallard "flew" round and round in circles until it escaped.

A GBBG try to grab a Snowy Egret that defended itself by stabbing the gull with its beak.

A single GBBG off of the Montauk Lighthouse grab a scoter by the neck and drown it in about 20 minutes. Several other GBBGs joined in to rip the thing apart once the duck had expired. This occurred on a Christmas Bird count back in my birding days (1977-1983).

ps: Feel free to share any of your predatory gull stories.

[Arthur Morris]

After the adults were finished dining, young of the year often finished up the scraps. It is likely that the killer bird was the parent.

I was never patient enough to capture an image of the adult birds swallowing the head whole. I'd leave the adults to photograph something else and when I went back to the juvies the head was always gone.

[denise ippolito]

I don't have any stories or images to share at this time, but I would like to comment on how fascinating I find this subject and the impact your images have. TFS.

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Denise, Next time I go, I am gonna try for two new images:
1-A GBBG grabbing a skimmer.
2-A GBBG swallowing the head.

[Declan Troy]

Kelp Gulls take the prize for thinking big. Some off the Argentine coast have taken to dining on right whales. They don't actually kill the whales but strip off samples of the live whales when they surface.

[Kurtis Diffenbaugh]

I second Denise's comment, that is really fascinating behavior. I've heard of gulls doing this but never actually seen photos of it before. So far in person I have yet to see a bird actually attack another bird in an act of predation (hopefully that will change in the near future).

[Juan Aragonés]

Several species of large gulls play the role of bird of prey in marine ecosistems and they are really well prepared for their role. I have never seen with my eyes one of this kind of predatory episodes but I have seen on BBC documentaries (Larus marinus capturing puffins if flight and swallowing in the air). The past winter I saw a great skua trying to capture two different lesser grey backed gull (Larus fuscus) in flight.
Very interesting images Artie, thanks for sharing

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Juan and YAW. I'd love to see the puffin eating gulls. I think that Larus fuscus might be Lesser Black-Backed Gull.

[Rich Steel]

Thought you might find this of interest. Shows one in full predatory mode.

http://10000birds.com/red-in-tooth-and-claw.htm

Cheers

Rich

[Arthur Morris]

Thanks Rich. Been there, seen that. Boy, there are some dumb comments (and some really bad photos) on that thread.

[Juan Aragonés]

You are right abut the fuscus Artie :)

Thanks Juan and YAW. I'd love to see the puffin eating gulls. I think that Larus fuscus might be Lesser Black-Backed Gull.

[Nicki Gwynn Jones]

Hi All,
To add to Artie's Nickerson story:
I did see this immature gull actually kill the young skimmer but couldn't bring myself to photograph the struggling, flailing bird. It took maybe 5/10 mins for the bird to die. The young gull then got first pick as the adult looked on and after a while the adult muscled in and took over. My thought was that the adult was letting the youngster learn to kill effectively.
Best,
Nicki

[Arthur Morris]

Hey Nicki,

re:

I did see this immature gull actually kill the young skimmer but couldn't bring myself to photograph the struggling, flailing bird. It took maybe 5/10 mins for the bird to die.

Too bad that I missed it. I have twice, however, witnessed life and death situations that involved humans and I could not bring myself to photograph what I was seeing even though I had the right lens at hand in each case....

The young gull then got first pick as the adult looked on and after a while the adult muscled in and took over. My thought was that the adult was letting the youngster learn to kill effectively.

That is likely a bad assumption. I have seen dozens of situations where young gulls have been dominant over adult gulls of the same species. In this case I would surmise that the young gull was full. I would not rule out their being related.

TFS.

[John Chardine]

Most gulls can turn their hand to almost anything, and are almost perfect "generalists". When you add the size and power of a Great Black-backed Gull to this evolutionary design, you get a potent killer. I've banded this species and they are a handful.

At one of my study colonies in Newfoundland we had several GBBGs that specialised in aerial hunting of puffins. It worked for them. On one occasion I saw one of these birds swallow an Atlantic Puffin whole.

It's worth remembering that predation is not a pretty sight, and that a gull killing a shorebird or a puffin is no different in biological terms to a lion killing a gazelle, a gannet killing a mackerel, or a swallow killing a midge.

[LouBuonomo]

Interesting thread.. I think we saw more Skimmers kill juvies this year that the GBBGs did.. if they wander to far from there own nest... bam speared.