A trip to the beach may seem peaceful, but it won’t be complete without an annoying encounter with a seagull.
Seagulls haunt beaches and have learned to not fear humans as we bring them crumbs and pieces of bread to eat.
You may wonder why you never see any baby seagulls or eggs.
This is because seagulls generally lay eggs in hard-to-reach places such as cliffs or islands.
Recently, however, they have even started nesting in urban areas like tall rooftops.
Here’s what you’re going to discover in this article
- What month do seagulls lay eggs?
- What about their nest? Where do they build it?
- Where do seagulls nest at night?
- Ever seen a baby seagull? No? Why’s that? You’ll find out!
So if you’re interested or curious about seagulls and their eggs or maybe you want to know why you never see a baby seagull then you’re going to love this article
Sound interesting?
Great, let’s get started!
When Do Seagulls Lay Eggs?
If you are wondering when do seagulls lay their eggs
The short answer: May
Seagulls have a predictable breeding season.
Most types of seagulls breed once a year for a breeding season that lasts three to five months.
Seagulls will start to congregate around the colony to start the breeding season.
Like many other birds, seagulls mate for life.
This means at breeding season, existing seagull pairs will re-establish their bonds whereas birds without a pair will find a mate.
As a general rule, seagulls will lay eggs from the beginning of May.
A seagull clutch will usually consist of about two to four eggs.
After three weeks, the first chicks will begin to hatch and they will normally be seen in June.
Do Seagulls Have Nests?
Yes, seagulls do have nests!
Now you may be wondering – Do seagulls build nests?
Of course they do!
They are usually made out of twigs and grass
Their nests are pretty small but is built with a well constructed cup which is big enough to safely protect 2 – 4 eggs
You probably won’t see any nests that belong to seagulls
Why’s that you ask
It’s because they build their nests in locations which is not easily accessible
This leads me to my next point..
Where Do Seagulls Build Their Nests?
Traditionally, seagulls will build their nests near the ocean.
This means that you will often find their nests dotting across sea cliffs, sand dunes, islands on the coast, and other inaccessible locations to protect their chicks.
However, recently, many gulls have given up living near the water and instead near human habitation on tall roofs.
Experts say this migration might be due to the tall buildings which are quite attractive spots that are far away from any predators.
The proximity to landfills and our rubbish is quite attractive too as food is a necessity.
Once the mated gull pair have found a safe place to nest, the next step is to build the nest itself.
The nest is usually made of twigs and grasses.
And after incubating the clutch for 30 days, the chicks will hatch and stay in the nest for another five to six weeks before they’re ready to fly off.
Where Do Seagulls Nest At Night?
Seagulls are diurnal birds that are active during the day and sleep at night.
They sleep in many different types of places.
Usually, they will sleep in the water or nearby in the nests if they’re protecting their eggs or chicks.
However, gulls have been found to sleep also in beaches, parks, and even rooftops of tall buildings.
Seagulls will nest in places with large open spaces where their fellow birds can warn them of any potential danger that may come their way.
These birds are clever and use the large open spaces and nest with their colonies to protect each other.
If an intruder or predator such as a fox comes their way, these smart birds will loudly squawk and flap their wings to warn every other bird in the vicinity while also scaring away the frightened predator.
Although seagulls don’t naturally nest in urban areas such as rooftops and parks, this has become a more common occurrence in recent years due to the accessibility to dumps, rubbish, and crumbs that humans leave behind.
Now you may be wondering
Seagulls lay eggs and have babies, but why don’t I ever see a baby seagull?
Well, let’s find out why!
Carry on reading
Why Do You Never See Baby Seagulls?
When you see a colony of seagulls trying to steal a bite of your sandwich when you’re at the beach, you might wonder why you never see baby seagulls.
All the seagulls that tend to swarm on beaches look around the same size and color with none that look like babies.
The reason for this is that adult seagulls nest in places where humans won’t frequent.
They stay hidden to avoid all predators so this means nesting on islands, cliffs, and other hard-to-reach places.
The adult seagulls stand guard and keep watch over all the baby gulls and are very protective over their young.
When the baby gulls are ready to leave the nest five to six weeks later, they are already pretty much full size.
However, even after they leave the nest, they generally remain near the nesting site until their adult feathers come in.
By the time they join the rest of the adult seagulls by the beach, they are almost indistinguishable from adult seagulls at first glance.
If you take a closer look, you can identify a juvenile seagull by its brown legs and beaks along with some brown coloring on its shoulders and back as well.
You want to see a baby seagull?
Check out the video below – They’re too cute!
Related article you may be interested in
Where do seagulls go at night?
When Do Seagulls Mate?
Seagulls mate for life which usually happens between March and April
This then leads to nest being built and eggs being laid in Mat
Wrapping Up
Seagulls are loud and fascinating seabirds that love to scavenge for food.
Most people will go their entire lives without seeing a baby gull as they’re quite rare to spot.
Adult seagulls go to lengths to protect their young ones in the nests and once they are old enough to leave, they look just like their parents.
However, gulls have started to nest on the rooftops of tall buildings as it is a safe area far away from predators.
You might be one of the lucky ones to see a baby seagull if its parents decide to nest on your roof.
What Do Seagulls Eat?
Seagulls eat fish, shellfish and plankton
Their main diet usually consists of fish
Here’s a list of what fish seagulls eat
- Anchovies
- Blennies
- Candlefish
- Herring
- Mackerel
- Sardines
- Sculpin
- Smelt
