Most bird species all over the world are diurnal which means they are active during the day and rest at night
Whereas some birds are nocturnal which means they are more active at night such as the most common night bird – Owls
But what about seagulls?
Do seagulls fly at night?
You’d be surprised to know seagulls do fly at night. Although they are diurnal, they won’t have trouble flying at night especially with city lights
Some gulls can be very active at night
Let’s find out why seagulls may fly at night in more detail in this article
Sound good?
Let’s get started!
Why Do Seagulls Fly At Night?
There are few reasons why you may see a seagull fly at night
One possible reason could be is they are flying away from predators or keeping themselves away from predators by flying out to the sea
This means they would possibly roost on ocean so they are far away from predators
Yet the main reason a seagull is flying after dark is because they know there is food around
You’d probably see more gulls at night where there is more human population
After all, gulls are scavenger birds and would eat anything lying around or anything they can find
What do they usually eat?
Anything from fish, insects, earthworms, eggs and even sometimes other birds!
Seagulls would also scavenge for foods leftover by humans like chips or other food
They would usually scrounge around by garbage and other trash materials
Because of this, it can lead to a seagull sometimes eating plastic which can be really dangerous to such an extent it can cause death
Bright city lights is something seagulls would take advantage of to find some additional food
Is It Normal For Seagulls To Fly At Night?
It’s not normal for seagulls to fly at night because they are diurnal
But that doesn’t mean they won’t go out searching for food especially if there is city lights
Seagulls can’t see much during the night because of their small pupil
Their eye muscles are not strong enough to adapt to the night as well
But with city lights it makes it easier for gulls to fly after dark
Did you know the swallow-tailed gull is the only nocturnal gull species
They have special night vision power which allows them to prey on small fish that come up to the surface during the night
Where Do Seagulls Go At Night?
Seagulls will pretty much sleep anywhere
This means they will sleep on places such as in parks, rooftops, beaches and fields
These places are broad and an open space
The reason for this is because seagulls sleep together in large colonies
That way if there is any potential danger such as a predator or anything else they will warn one another
They got each others backs basically!
It’s like a defensive strategy when they all sleep together
Seagulls are clever birds!
I go into more detail in my article – Where do seagulls go at night?
Why Do Seagulls Cry At Night?
I don’t think they are crying
If you hear seagulls screaming at night then it’s most likely they are communicating with one another about a potential danger
As mentioned earlier, because they sleep together in large numbers to protect one another, if a predator or any other danger approaches they would quickly warn each other
This could be done by screaming which can happen at night
It can be very disturbing especially if it wakes you up in the middle of your sleep!
Wrapping Up
Seagulls are diurnal birds which means they are active during the day and rest at night
But sometimes seagulls would fly at night because of the city lights (which is a helping hand to help them see at night) they can search for food
This would usually be foods that humans have leftover in the garbage and other trash materials
Another reasons they fly at night is to get away from a predator