Baby seagulls depend entirely on their parents for sustenance during their early development. A healthy diet is crucial for their rapid growth, as chicks can double their body weight in just a few days. Unlike adult gulls that are highly opportunistic feeders, young chicks are initially limited to what their parents provide.
Primary Food Sources
Baby seagulls primarily eat what their parents forage and bring back to the nest. This often includes regurgitated fish, marine invertebrates like crabs and shrimp, and various insects. Depending on the specific seagull species and its habitat, their diet can also incorporate small rodents, worms, or even the eggs and chicks of other birds. Parents select food items soft enough for the chicks to consume, sometimes providing partially digested meals.
How Parents Provide Food
Parent seagulls feed their young primarily through regurgitation, bringing up partially digested food from their crop, a specialized pouch in their digestive tract. This method allows adults to efficiently transport multiple food items to the nest. Chicks stimulate this feeding response by pecking at a spot on the adult’s beak, which often has a contrasting color or “target.” Both parents typically participate in feeding their chicks several times a day.
Learning to Forage Independently
As baby seagulls mature, they gradually transition from complete dependence to independent foraging. Chicks become active within days of hatching, moving around the nest area. They begin to mimic their parents’ foraging behaviors, and their diet slowly expands to include a wider range of items they can find and consume themselves. This transition period can last for several weeks, with parental feeding continuing even after chicks fledge, sometimes for up to two months or more in species like the Herring Gull.
Foods to Avoid Feeding Baby Seagulls
Avoid feeding baby seagulls human food, as it can be detrimental to their health. Items like bread, chips, and processed foods lack nutritional value and can lead to long-term health problems. Such foods can cause digestive issues, obesity, and nutrient deficiencies. Additionally, high-salt, high-sugar, or high-fat foods, as well as chocolate and caffeine, are particularly harmful and toxic to birds. If a baby seagull appears injured or abandoned, contacting a professional wildlife rescue organization is the appropriate action, rather than attempting to feed it.