Can seagulls recognise you? My good friend swears blind that his native gulls torment him personally. Is there something on this? Edward Lambourn, Rhyl
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Dr Livingston Seagull, I presume? MrCassandra
I've had experiences in my very own backyard the place a swallow and a mistle thrush have taken to attacking myself and solely one in all my springer spaniels. They ignored my husband, guests to the home and even my quieter spaniel. There isn't any doubt in my thoughts that they knew me. I used to be the one most frequently within the backyard, generally, on different missions, within the neighborhood of their nests. They'd set on me once I was nowhere close to the nests. Everybody else was ignored, even after they have been pretty near the nests. Cherry Alexander, Ardgay
A cheerful day was had on the Jersey shore (New Jersey, that's) regardless of a double-whammy from a seagull whereas sunbathing. I used to be “dropped upon” at each 0800 and 1400 hours. Twice, six hours aside. Smack on to my swimsuit. Unhealthy luck, a fowl dare or goal observe? He knew.B Saltzman, Woodland, California
There's a herring gull that sits each morning on the chimney of the home straight behind ours and shouts loudly at a teen’s bed room window till she will get up, opens the window and shouts again. We’ve named him Stephen. scaryoldcortina
I don’t learn about seagulls, however I've a blackbird that seems in my backyard each time he spots me. I've been feeding him raisins, and he has come to anticipate a pleasant juicy breakfast. Geraldine Blake, Worthing
Sure. They pester my neighbour to feed them even when he's on the opposite aspect of our village. I’ve seen them faucet on the window after they see him in another person’s home having a cup of tea. BobbleAlong
Sure, with out query. Gulls will not be simply long-lived however very clever birds. I stay in a flat in Brighton and my outside space is a platform constructed on high of the flat roof of a part of an extension in the back of the constructing. It's barely under the roof and the chimneys of the principle constructing. For all of my time right here (the final six years) a pair of seagulls have nested both on the flat a part of the extension subsequent door (separated from my bit by a steel railing with plenty of gaps in it) or on the chimney. Their chicks, after they get sufficiently old, inevitably come and wander round my little bit of the flat roof. For a lot of that point I used to smoke and went out on to my platform many occasions a day and evening. The gulls are fully chilled about me being round, they get up and take a look, and after that ignore me. Even when the chicks are wandering round and I come out on to the platform they hold a climate eye out, however ignore me, as I ignore their chicks. If anybody else comes out, although, they turn into extremely agitated, name alarms the entire time and can even attempt poo bombing to drive them away. By the best way, if that sounds largely candy and beautiful, the noise and mess is appalling and I’d be very completely happy in the event that they nested elsewhere! Paul
Is your good friend referred to as Cliff? Le74
Not solely can seagulls recognise you, in addition they know the place you reside (or a minimum of the place your automobile’s parked). John Boyd-Brent
There was numerous analysis into gull behaviour not too long ago. Not one of the outcomes are significantly stunning to anybody who takes the time to observe them for greater than a second. They shortly turn into accustomed to those that are more likely to be suppliers however nonetheless watch to see meals eaten first. So, though they readily pick the beneficiant sorts, they withhold belief, preferring to swoop down and eat a half-eaten pasty or the remnants of a bag of chips than an uneaten sandwich. woodworm20
I'm an expert ornithologist who was concerned in a long-term examine of city gulls nesting on roof tops (herring gulls and lesser black-backed gulls – there’s no such factor as a “seagull”). Initially of this examine, I and my colleagues trapped a few of these gulls (underneath licence) and put rings and GPS trackers on them to check their behaviour and actions. For sure, this didn't endear us to the gulls in any respect. I subsequently made many visits to the identical rooftops and the identical gulls over a number of years. The gulls at all times responded to my presence by instantly alarm-calling and mobbing me, singling me out amongst different folks earlier than I even made it on to the roof. It didn’t matter what garments I wore or which automobile I drove. I used to be certain that the gulls noticed me as a specific menace based mostly on my previous behaviour, and have been capable of recognise me, though generally many months glided by between visits. In probably the most excessive instance, a male lesser black-backed gull appeared to recognise me and mobbed me as I watched him out of a really excessive window, the place solely my face and binoculars would have been seen. I ought to add that I’m a redhead, so this may increasingly make it simpler for them.
So in my view, the reply for these two species a minimum of is “sure”. Maybe this man did one thing as soon as that his native gulls didn’t approve of, or maybe his day by day commute takes him near a nest website.
In any case I by no means skilled a gull making contact when “defending” their nests (they normally simply swoop and name). Gulls mobbing folks for meals are a unique story, and that is sadly an issue we now have created for ourselves by feeding them. Each these species are lowering at pure colonies and growing in city areas, in all probability as a result of their pure habitats not present them with what they want. Once more, it is a drawback of our personal making and we in all probability have to be taught methods of dwelling harmoniously with these birds. They’re actually very attention-grabbing. Rebecca Jones
They did some analysis into whether or not crows might do it. Used a Dick Cheney face masks and upset crows whereas sporting it. For a very long time after that they'd mob anybody sporting the masks. Which suggests it’s a) a enjoyable approach to upset visiting politicians, and b) it’s undoubtedly doable that gulls could possibly recognise faces. unclestinky
Let’s reverse the query. Can the Guardian recognise birds? On a number of events I've observed that the Guardian misidentifies birds or makes use of pictures of the fallacious fowl as an instance a narrative. You used a photograph of the ring-billed gull (Larus delawarensis) in a narrative about Britons’ interplay with “seagulls”. The identify is a giveaway. This can be a North American fowl, with a really giant inhabitants on the Nice Lakes. A lot of the submissions are about herring gulls, a species widespread within the British Isles. Not the identical factor. Howard Ross, Kingston, Ontario
We've got named the herring gull that visits us most mornings as Sebastian. As a fledgling he walked with our canine within the park consuming canine snacks and adopted us dwelling. My spouse can hand-feed him and his spouse, Sabina, however each will fly off if I attempt. Sebastian will usually stroll into our kitchen by way of the again door and lookup at us, anticipating his breakfast. I even discovered him within the lounge final summer time when doorways the place open. So sure, herring gulls do recognise us and we will recognise them. Sam Coombes
Some years in the past a pair of lesser black-backed gulls nested on my chimney. A reasonably mature chick fell out of the nest and landed within the backyard. I had no method of getting it again to the nest, so I saved it within the backyard and fed it on sprats and fish items I purchased and scrounged from the native fish market, locked it away, secure from neighbours’ cats at evening, and finally, after a few weeks, it fledged and flew off. The kids named it Fortunate. As a reward, the dad or mum birds mobbed me any time I left the home, following me to the native store and mobbing me once I exited. I used to be the one one feeding the chick, partly as a result of it had an inclination to chew your fingers, and I used to be the one one mobbed. None of this I discovered to be significantly uncommon behaviour, assuming that they recognised me and related me as being a hazard to their chick. Nevertheless, what did shock me was that, the next yr, a pair of lesser black-backed gulls nested on the chimney once more and mobbed me (and solely me) any time I left the home, regardless of not dropping a chick. I assumed that they have been the identical pair, that they not solely recognised me and noticed me as a menace however had retained the reminiscence for a yr. The third yr they didn't return – fortunately! Preston Shalton
Seagulls appear to recognise me as I stroll alongside the beachfront to feed them with meals scraps. They spot me from a distance and begin to circle me, squawking and fluttering. Whether or not it's me or the plastic container of scraps I'm carrying that's recognised is, maybe, open for debate. David Litchfield
Positively recognise me. A number of years in the past a seagull chick fell out of its nest on our roof. I did the first rate factor and put it in a field and climbed a ladder to place it again on the roof. It screamed its head off the entire time, attracting dozens of grownup gulls that attacked me incessantly whereas I used to be on the ladder. Not content material with that, the dad and mom then divebombed me each time I left the home for the remainder of the breeding season. And for the subsequent couple of years. Bastards! Mike Patching
Seagulls do recognise particular folks. Fred, as I name him, comes down from our roof when I'm in our entrance backyard as a result of he is aware of I'll throw him a handful of mealworms, however he by no means does whether it is my husband, neighbours or anybody else exterior the entrance of our home. Chris Callard
Sure. I've a gull good friend who arrives yearly in April, turns up each morning and runs down the roof when he sees me. Later in the summertime his associate and the yr’s offspring will be a part of him. He’s significantly loud at 5am. I’m satisfied he’s a gull I raised and launched 15 years in the past, which suggests he should be fairly previous. Merle1
A have a look at all the assorted species of gull listed within the Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds means that fairly just a few species routinely stay greater than 10 years and a number of other longer-lived species stay greater than 20. ProfessorSogol
Herring gulls (city subspecies) nest on my roof. When infants begin to transfer about, Mum and Dad will swoop and mob strangers, however not me. Inotrek
Crows I’ve identified for years recognise me with or with out my bike. Once I’m in firm they arrive unobtrusively, and it might probably take a bit to grasp. Different birds, akin to pigeons and robins can strategy if I sit on a bench, and I infer that they usually get fortunate with people there. Karendash
I used to feed and lift just a few pigeons again once I was in India, they may recognise me fairly properly, so it wouldn’t be stunning that gulls might do the identical. My mom raised a child coucal, and the fowl recognised her and used to come back for visits. paul939
Sure, completely. In truth, not solely can they recognise you however they'll sense your feelings, similar to another animal. Craig R Bell
You actually should be very gullible to imagine this … Alejandro Larrosa
Whereas I’m not capable of verify if seagulls can bear in mind human faces, I can verify that a seagull shitting on you whereas on a primary date won't the truth is result in a second date. I may verify that an individual will be capable of recognise you after virtually 20 years and introduce you to the group as “that man the seagull shat on”. moemanmoe
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