It was on his way through the center of Tromsø that Even Kristiansen saw the seagull feeding on a dead pigeon. – I just came around the bend, and saw that the seagull was pecking at the dove, he says. Kristiansen took out his mobile phone to film. – There is nothing I dislike more in the center of Tromsø than seagulls, he says. It was iTromsø that mentioned the matter first. – If you’ve seen a hyena nibbling on a zebra, it’s not a pretty sight either, says zoologist Petter Bøckman. Photo: news tips Unlikely that the seagull has killed the pigeon Zoologist at the Natural History Museum, Petter Bøckman, has never seen a seagull eat a pigeon. Nevertheless, he is convinced that the seagull has not killed the dua. He explains that pigeons are much better flyers than seagulls: “Imagine that the seagull and the pigeon were two planes instead of two birds. One plane with long and thin wings like a glider, and one plane with somewhat short and stubby wings like a Spitfire. Then you can start to imagine who would have won a dogfight.” Zoologist Petter Bøckman does not think the seagull has killed the pigeon. Photo: Kristian Elster / news The seagull has changed its diet Bøckman says that the seagull has a fairly short intestine, with very hot stomach juices. This means that they can eat almost anything. – It is typical for animals that are predators that they have quite tough gastric juices. They should be able to eat animals that have died by themselves, he says. The zoologist explains that if you are a lion who has the choice between eating a zebra that has been lying on the savannah for a week, and one that you have to kill yourself, the choice is simple. You eat the dead one, because then you don’t have to run. No animal sweats more than it absolutely has to, says Bøckman. He says that the seagull often goes for dead animals and other nutritious food when it does not have access to fish. – A dead pigeon is in the middle of nowhere, he says. The seagull must eat something nutritious and easily digestible, similar to fish meat, otherwise it will starve to death. Little fish The reason why the seagull turns to pigeons is that there are so few fish in the sea during the day, says Bøckman. – This is largely due to overfishing, but also climate change. There are few seagulls along the coast. The seagull has a greater ability to eat different foods than, for example, the auk, which are highly specialized fish eaters. More seagulls have moved to the cities where they eat food other than fish, and therefore they have fared better than the auks. Animals that rely on food do not have to survive, Bøckman concludes.
ttn-69