23-05-2025
Why gulls sometimes seem drunk
Many a family seaside trip has been ruined by gulls dive-bombing tables and stealing chips.
However, cowering Britons have often enjoyed a period of respite on so-called 'flying ant day', when the opportunistic scavengers appear 'drunk'.
It was commonly thought the formic acid within the insects was intoxicating to the birds as they feasted on them.
But scientists believe the gulls actually appear disorientated because they are 'so focused' on eating as much as they can, meaning they don't notice their surroundings and appear drunk.
Dr Claire Asher, who has a PhD in Genetics, Ecology, and Evolution, told BBC Science Focus: 'Gulls feasting on swarms of flying ants have disrupted traffic and made headlines across the UK.
'Some claim that the gulls are drunk, but can eating ants really intoxicate these birds?
'Many ant species produce formic acid as a defence mechanism and this is toxic to birds. So, it's theoretically possible that gorging on ants might make gulls a little disoriented.
'However, the black garden ants that swarm across UK pavements in the summer only produce very small quantities of formic acid.'
Gulls collide with cars
Dr Asher said experts think it is the birds' focus on the short-lived supply of insect food that means they 'don't even notice' the cars they sometimes fly into.
Flying ant day, a period that usually arrives around mid-July, as the queens emerge and travel to set up new colonies. But, swarms of the insects can appear any time between June and the start of September
Organisations often warn drivers to stay vigilant on flying ant day due to 'drunk' gulls. The gulls are known to swarm onto grass verges and feast on the ants as they appear.
Over the years, scores of dead seabirds have been found on roads in the aftermath of flying ant day, having collided with oncoming vehicles while gorging on the insects.
In 2013, residents across Devon were shocked to find dozens of dead gulls in roads across the county.
Last year, East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service said it was 'inundated with road casualty gulls' and urged drivers to be cautious.
