Seagulls sniffed away 20 km away

US scientists have identified a strategy to find the prey of common seabirds wide-winged seagulls and detect their sense of smell to allow them to recognize the smell of prey at distances of up to 20 km.

Gabriel Newitt, Project Leader and colleagues at the University of California, studied the behavior of the wide-winged albatross (scientific name Diomedea exulans) during their nesting in the Indian Southwest.

Wide-winged seagulls are the largest of the seabirds.Its wingspan can be as wide as 3.7 meters.The weight of adults is up to 10 kg.

On the surface of the sea there is always the wind that makes the smell disperse away in all directions plus the whirlwinds of the scent air are much weaker, but the amount of odor is so small that the seagulls still detect the word It is a miraculous thing as far as 20 km. According to scientists, the magic beyond the sense of smell is also partly due to sight.

Scientists have studied movement while searching for seagulls by means of a wave transmitter from a geostationary satellite (GPS). In order to determine when the birds dive to catch prey, they used cabbages that had a tiny thermometer built on them, sending them measurements of the temperature in their stomachs. Comparing the data of GPS design and devices, scientists have determined the movement of seagulls in the search for bait.

Most of the time seagulls fly perpendicular to the wind direction. It is the most energy-efficient way of flying, while also giving them the chance to 'catch' the smell of food. After discovering the smell of a familiar food, they began to change the direction of flight and move towards the opposite direction of the wind.

There are cases of seagulls that seek prey and move zigzag against the wind. It's a wise search strategy when prey knows how to avoid them like insects, crabs and lobsters. Thanks to this way of movement, they increase the chance of following the prey.

The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Source: Pravda.ru