Edible gulls

[Wavy Davy]

Are any gulls edible, especially the herring gull?

[fredo-cb]

you sicko

who would eat a gull

[Wavy Davy]

Whoah-up Fredo, go read the question slowly matey. Does it say anywhere in the question that I want to eat a gull?

An Italian colleague of mine joked that she would like to eat a gull before she went home. All of us that live at the seaside have had various encounters with gulls including being pooed on, kept awake by the noise, TV aeriel damage and physically attacked.

Just for the record, however, I quite like the things. And I suspect they would not be nice to eat because they live largely on garbage and offal.

The question was posted in the spirit of scientific curiosity (both myself and the Italian girl are scientists).

I take it that you're a strict vegan if you feel yourself to be on high enough moral ground to call me a sicko?

[fredo-cb]

sorry but since it was in food and drink

p.s. i am not a vegan or a vegaterian its just i live by the sea and have a lot of sea gulls around

[pigface]

I've always wondered what swans taste like - they must have plenty of meat on them. I suppose the only to really know for sure would be to ask the queen.

[thikasabrik]

Years ago I went on a camping trip to the wilds of Scotland with an aunt & uncle who were both barking mad. We took no food as they thought it was fun to live off the land. We had things like nettle soup, rabbit pie etc. I don't know why he did it but my uncle shot a herring gull & we had it to eat. The best description I can give of it is that it tasted like fishy, gritty chicken. It was edible but gross.

I'm sorry if this answer offends the vegetarians but I was only a child at the time!!!!

[Cetti]

All birds are edible, but I wouldn't try killing a gull in the UK as they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. Some mediterranean countries have different rules. 

Mackerel live on garbage Wavy Davy, and this is the supposed reason for their  tasty  flavour.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/outdoors/nature/gulls_rspca.shtml