We observed several baby gulls on a roof across the street while we were on vacation by the sea.
They were very young and couldn’t fly, so they were just standing on the roof without a nest. It made me wonder about newborn seagulls and how vulnerable their survival seemed since they were high in the air with no one protecting them from the wind and weather.
So I investigated further about these tiny, cuddly youngster birds who will turn into huge, raucous adults who attempt to steal our food as they mature up.
Baby seagulls are called gull chicks
Seagulls are not a distinct kind of gull or tern, but rather a collection of more than 50 species that mostly live near the sea and have become known collectively as seagulls.
Like baby owls being referred to as owlets, baby seagulls are referred to as gull chicks rather than gull babies.
Seagull eggs are camouflaged in a speckled buff or olive color
Light green, buff, or olive eggs with darker splotches are laid by seagulls two or three at a time.
Monogamy is common in gulls, who stay with their partner for years. By displaying danger displays and producing loud howls, both parents protect the eggs and nest area.
In May and June, seagulls lay their eggs for the most common gull, the herring gull, which takes around 30 days to hatch. Smaller gulls may have shorter incubation periods.
Seagull nests are often on the ground but might be on cliff ledges or rooftops
Seagulls build nests to protect themselves from predators and the wind, which they do in soft sand, soil, or vegetation behind a rock or log.
To defend them from predators such as rooftops or cliff ledges, they also make them in difficult-to-reach places.
To build the nest and lining, gulls utilize twigs, leaves, plastic, and rope.
Baby seagulls are a soft downy mottled brown color
Seagulls have a delicate downy mottled brown color when they are born with their eyes open.
For the first few years of their lives, gulls maintain a mottled brown color. The typical white and gray color takes up to four years to develop.
Baby seagulls cry to demand to be fed and if threatened
As soon as they hatch, baby seagulls begin begging for food. These cries become louder as the chick develops and gets stronger.
When seagulls are in danger, they scream shrilly.
Adult seagulls make both the begging call and the shrill cry.
Leave a fallen baby seagull as they may not be in danger
At just a day or two old, baby seagulls abandon the nest. As a result, they are not protected by the nest. Baby seagulls are in danger of falling because seagulls nest on roofs and other high areas.
If a parent does not return to feed a baby seagull that is not harmed, leave it alone.
If the parents have been handled or treated, the stress of caregiving and the risk of abandonment are greater.
If the parents have been handled or handled, the stress of being handled and the potential for them to abandon their baby birds are greater.
What to feed baby seagulls
Dry kitten biscuits drowned in water are appropriate if you supply food for a newborn seagull. They might be unwell and need tweezers instead of their parents’ beaks, so don’t overfeed them.
Baby seagulls can fly from 45 days
Seagull chicks may leave the nest after 24 hours, but spend 40 days within the vicinity.
They take to the skies at 45 days, but their parents continue feeding them for another three to four weeks.
How do baby seagull learn to fly
Once their parents encourage them to follow, baby seagulls learn to fly.
Before they take off fully, it may take many tries and a few short practice jumps. By wing flapping and taking short jumps straight up, baby seagulls will also spend a lot of time building up their strength.
Baby seagulls stay with their parents for up to 6 months
Seagull chicks may fledge the nest after just 24 hours, but will stay around it for 40 days.
They can fly at 45 days, but their parents will continue to feed them for another three to four weeks.
After leaving the nest, some baby seagulls will remain with their parents for up to six months, during which time they will be fed if they continue to seek food.
I hope you found the information on newborn seagulls interesting; here are several more great articles about baby birds and bird trivia.