Why do seagulls fly so high and circle around?

Answer 1

How: Large wingspan (which gets them up there and keeps them there riding thermals) and a rich-meat diet which makes them strong birds. Their talons are immensly strong, for both killing and carrying prey.

Why (do they fly high): A hunting pattern that includes a very wide territory and fairly large prey. The prey they 'chase' is almost always ground based (or water in the case of Sea Eagles).

Generally it's falcons and hawks that kill other birds 'on the wing', not eagles which are much slower flyers.

You might say that Eagles (and Condors and Vultures which share their 'high flying' characteristics and excellent vision) are selective hunters - that's to say that they look for large prey that are 'ideal' to their purposes. This means that they aren't looking for things that are 'common' (like incescts or mice), but things that are less common such as rabbits and newborn or sick lambs (and in the case of vultures and condors - carrion). Hence they have to look 'further afield' to find them, hence they fly higher to see further.

All animals have an ideal 'energy equation'. The honeyeater works constantly to find extremely high energy food (nectar) and spends prodigious amounts of energy hovering to get it. An eagle on the other hand works at a slower pace feeding for more infrequently, but eating a lot more on each of those occasions.

Answer 2

It has nothing to do with their prey, remember the prey is dead and they don't have to sneak up on it, even though by nature they are a very cautious animal. The reason they circle is because they want to take advantage of inversions in temperature which are pockets of warm air that cause an upward draft. When they catch this upward draft they don't have to beat their wings and therefore save energy.

Answer 3

to avoid natural predators and protect themselves but they also fly low to be able to smell rotten meat of dead animals

Answer 4

so that they cant scout for food. They have good eyes!

Answer 5

I believe it my be a sign of a impending storm.It my also be that when they catch a thermal updraft and circle around, the flock is gathering to move on and land usually before dusk.

Answer 6

Yes, I saw one that looked like it was preying on my small dog one time.

Answer 7

They are just trying to get some sun to keep themselves warm. They also do this to show off to the other birds around them.

Answer 8

as high as your mom

Answer 9

So they can fly faster.