Herring gulls prefer fish to chips

A new study has shown that herring gull chicks raised on a diet of “urban” food (thrown away by humans) still prefer their natural diet if given a choice. Scientists studied chicks that had been rescued and then raised by humans. Some of them were given a diet of mostly fish and mussels – the kind of food adult gulls would usually give chicks. Others were given a mostly urban food diet, such as bread and cat food. Every few days the chicks were given bowls of both seafood and urban food. No matter what their usual diet was, every gull preferred seafood. Herring gulls are often seen as pests, but a decline in fish numbers could be one reason why they sometimes eat urban food. Dr Neeltje Boogert said…

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The Week Junior (UK) (Digital) - 1 Issue, 450

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