Seagulls prefer life in the city

SEAGULLS have abandoned the seaside for an easy life in the city, a survey has found.

Around four-fifths of gulls now live in urban areas, and experts believe this is because there is so much takeaway food lying around and urban roofs offer safe places to breed.

Some 15.8 per cent of nesting herring gulls were estimated to be in coastal areas last year, compared with 84.2 per cent in urban areas, which could be as high as 274,676.

With lesser black-backed gulls, 79 per cent of nesters were in cities – which could be as high as 594,055. The report by wildlife agency Natural England also found that there are especially high numbers of gulls in Birmingham, Bristol, Peterborough, Swindon, and Manchester. Their decline in coastal areas is a ‘worrying trend’, said Natural England.