Risky foraging by Ring-billed Gulls (Larus delawarensis)

Abstract

Organisms escape consumers using a variety of behaviors and structural or physiological defenses (e.g., toxins and irritants). Portuguese men o’ war (<em>Physalia physalis</em>) rely on nematocysts to immobilize or kill their prey, chiefly fish, but the nematocysts can also be painful or deadly to predators. Consequently, few species are known to approach, let alone consume, <em>P. physalis</em>. During an opportunistic birding excursion in coastal Texas, ~5 Ring-billed Gulls (<em>Larus delawarensis</em>) were observed picking up beached <em>P. physalis</em>, taking them to the water’s edge, and thrashing them in the water briefly before consuming them, or at least parts of them. These are among a very limited number of records of birds consuming <em>P. physalis</em>.