Your Leftover Junk Food Is Making Seagulls Dangerously Obese

If you’re ever bird watching in Britain, and you might notice a few more chunky seagulls than normal. The festively-plump birds are known to snack on junk food at any opportunity they get, particularly in more urbanized areas. This, like humans, causes them to put on a few extra pounds.

A study conducted by the University of Liverpool observes the eating habites of urban sea gulls. According to the findings, 95 percent the gulls prefer stealing and scavanging junk food over natural fish. On the other hand, 80 percent of the seagulls found in more rural areas choose the fish over the man-made foods.

The birds were observed at 11 different eating locations along the Merseyside coastline. They are known to snack on burgers, pastries and other snacks discarded by folks. As the birds east more human foods, they become more at risk to weight gain, chronic illness, or heart disease.

Findings from the study were published in the British Trust for Ornithology.