Iceland’s puffins may be famous for their colourful beaks and charming appearance, but life in the wild is far from easy for these seabirds. While climate change and food shortages are major challenges, puffins also face a more immediate and aggressive threat: seagulls. Large gull species, such as the great black-backed gull (Larus marinus) and the herring gull (Larus argentatus), are skilled opportunists, and their interactions with puffins often turn into a struggle for survival.
The Art of Kleptoparasitism: Stealing Puffins’ Hard-Earned Meals
One of the most common ways gulls take advantage of puffins is through kleptoparasitism, a behaviour in which they steal food from other birds. Puffins work hard to catch small fish like sandeels, often returning to their nests with several fish neatly stacked in their beaks. However, their success doesn’t go unnoticed - waiting gulls will often chase puffins mid-air, harassing them until they drop their catch.
This form of food theft is particularly problematic during breeding season when puffin parents need to bring food back to their chicks. If a puffin loses too many meals to gulls, its chick may go hungry or even fail to survive. In years when fish populations are already low due to warming waters, this added pressure can have a significant impact on puffin colonies.
Predation: When Puffins Become the Prey
Beyond food theft, gulls are also direct predators of puffins. The great black-backed gull, the largest gull species in the world, is particularly notorious for preying on smaller seabirds, including adult puffins. These gulls will ambush puffins on cliffs or snatch them from the water, swallowing them whole or tearing them apart.
Puffin chicks (pufflings) are especially vulnerable. Nesting in burrows offers some protection, but once pufflings emerge, they are at risk of being taken by waiting gulls. In some cases, gulls have been observed patrolling puffin colonies, watching for any opportunity to grab an unguarded chick.
Why Is Gull Predation Increasing?
The interactions between puffins and gulls are part of a natural predator-prey relationship, but recent environmental changes may be making gull attacks more frequent.
Some possible reasons include:
Food Scarcity: With fish populations declining in some areas due to climate change and overfishing, gulls may be more aggressive in their search for food, resorting to stealing or preying on puffins more than before.
Habitat Changes: Urban expansion and human activity have provided gulls with new food sources, such as waste from fishing industries and landfills. As their numbers grow, more gulls are competing for natural food, which may be driving them to hunt puffins more frequently.
Reduced Puffin Populations: Fewer puffins in certain colonies mean fewer birds to spread the risk of predation. If numbers continue to decline, the impact of predation from gulls could become even more significant.
Can Puffins Defend Themselves?
Puffins are agile fliers, capable of high-speed take-offs to escape predators, but they lack strong defensive behaviours against gull attacks. Their best protection comes from nesting in burrows, which makes it harder for gulls to reach their chicks. However, once a puffin is in the open, it has little defence against a determined gull.
Some puffin colonies have higher survival rates due to steep cliffs and inaccessible nesting areas, which reduce gull attacks. In contrast, colonies on lower islands or flat coastal areas tend to experience more predation pressure.
The Balance of Nature: What Can Be Done?
Since gull predation is a natural behaviour, it’s not something that can - or should - be completely stopped. However, conservation efforts can help reduce additional pressures on puffins, ensuring they have the best chance of survival.
Key actions include:
Monitoring colonies: Researching puffin and gull populations can help understand shifts in predator-prey dynamics and guide conservation strategies.
Reducing human impact: Managing waste and fish discards can limit artificial food sources that may be altering gull populations.
While seagulls may be a frustrating challenge for puffins, they are also an essential part of the ecosystem. Understanding their role and impact helps us see the bigger picture of Iceland’s changing wildlife and the delicate balance between predator and prey.