Gull egg

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A clutch of three potentially edible gull eggs, photographed 2016 in Norway Mowennest mit drei Eiern 2H1A7779WI.jpg
A clutch of three potentially edible gull eggs, photographed 2016 in Norway

Gull eggs, gathered in spring from the nests of wild gulls, are a source or form of eggs as food. Gulls' eggs tend to have speckled shells (which somewhat camouflages them in the landscape), [1] a flavor variously described as fishy or salty that is reminiscent of the birds' marine environment, an especially white or even opalescent albumen when cooked, [2] and almost-red orange yolks. [3] Gull eggs are usually (but not always) larger than any size of chicken egg; for example, a herring-gull egg typically weighs about 85 g (3.0 oz). [4] [lower-alpha 1] One source states that a generalized gull's egg is approximately twice the size of a chicken's egg. [5]

Contents

Egging is the prehistoric practice of foraging wild-bird eggs. [6] [7] [8] Gull egging is practiced (to varying degrees) in several subarctic regions, including in Canada, Denmark's Faroe Islands and Greenland, Finland's Åland, Iceland, Norway, Russia (by indigenous minorities of the north), the United Kingdom, and the United States' Alaska. [9] Gull eggs are collected from a number of species in the family Laridae, including the black-headed gull, [10] glaucous gull, [11] glaucous-winged gull, [12] the great black-backed gull, [10] Heermann's gull, [13] the various subspecies of herring gull, [10] the laughing gull, [14] the lesser black-backed gull, [10] Sabine's gull, [15] the short-billed gull, [15] and the western gull. [16] Per one pair of zoologists, "Gull eggs are a readily renewable resource in that clutches that are destroyed are replaced." [13] However, this egg production is not without energy demands on individual birds, and thus flocks, and can ultimately affect species-level survival. [17] [18] Gull eggs are also considered "excellent bioindicators of environmental pollution". [19] Toxicologists and public-health agencies recommend that children and pregnant or nursing women avoid eating gull eggs. [20]

Increased egg production by domestic poultry and wild egging have often filled the hungry gap of early spring. [1] In baking, gull eggs are said to increase the airiness of cakes (compared to chicken eggs used in the same way), [21] and to make a "smashing meringue". [5] In some human communities with large populations of fisherfolk, the relationship between egging human and nesting gulls may be considered to be mutualistic, in that humans nourish the gull population with a steady supply of fish guts in exchange for access to occasional or seasonal eggs. [18]

Europe

British Isles

Gull eggs have long been collected in some quantity in the British Isles and are considered to be a seasonal delicacy in Great Britain. [22] [23] [24] Wild seabird eggs were once taken all along the English Channel. [25] Gull eggs were sometimes used to supplement domestic chicken flocks (Gallus gallus domesticus): when broody hens were determined to incubate and hatch their own eggs—which would eventually allow for the perpetuation of the flock if a cock had recently been present—householders could instead collect wild gulls' eggs. [10] British farmers would also harvest gull eggs to both reduce the populations of gulls they considered pestilential and for use as nitrogen and calcium-rich fertilizer for their fields. [10] One account has it that in primeval times, the first clutches were all smashed in a day, prompting the gull colony to lay again en masse, so that harvesters could return within a week and be guaranteed of fresh eggs. [6] According to a 1906 account, after gull nesting began in March, the first two clutches laid in the fens and salt marshes of England were taken for consumption or sale, and the third clutch was left untouched for the gull hen to set, "elsewise she and her kind would never set foot in the marsh again." [26] In May 1912, two young men in Fife, Scotland, were charged with illegally possessing seven eider duck (genus Somateria) eggs, in violation of the 1880 Wild Birds' Protection Order (43 & 44 Vict. c. 35). The men also had, at the time of their arrest, perfectly legal possession of 654 gull eggs. [27] Two decades later a letter to a Scottish newspaper described gull egging on a loch; eggs were "lifted from their dangerously placed nests by means of a table spoon attached to a long pole." [28]

During World War I, the government of the UK recommended collecting gull eggs as a supplement to limited supplies of hen's eggs. The official suggestion was that the eggs be boiled and "eaten cold". [29] The government also issued Food Production Leaflet No. 30, which offered "special guidance for collecting gull eggs". [30] On the World War II homefront, when chicken eggs were again in short supply in the United Kingdom (due to food rationing), wild-harvested gull eggs became a popular substitute. [31] The visually similar eggs of the black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) had long been used as a fraudulent counterfeit for luxury plover eggs [32] (although there were ongoing debates about distinctions in flavor), and thus gull-egg market networks were already in place, such as the 20,000 gull eggs taken annually from Scoulton Mere in Norfolk. [33] [34] [35] Immediately after the end of World War II, Rupert Baring, 4th Baron Revelstoke sold over 100,000 gull eggs a year to British city dwellers. [5] In 1948, some 50,000 gull eggs were harvested from the Colne Estuary's Rat Island and shipped to market in London, leaving the island's gull hens to sit on just 13 eggs in five nests. [36]

Gull egging is now strictly regulated in the United Kingdom, although gull-egg piracy has been documented, including at Holmfirth, West Yorkshire, [37] Poole Harbour, Dorset, [38] and on the Copeland Islands off Northern Ireland. [39] There are fewer than 100 licensed gull eggers in the UK, and only licensed eggers are permitted to collect a limited number of gull eggs from a limited number of sites for a limited number of days. [40] [41] Since the mid-20th century the London market for wild bird eggs has largely been filled by the eggs of the black-headed gull, in large part because the market is haunted by the ghost of plover's eggs. [6] [42] Black-headed gulls' eggs have long been collected off the marshlands of Northumberland. [23] In the 2000s decade, some 10,000 gull eggs were taken annually from a property in the Scottish Borders. [43] Harvesting gull eggs on the Solent is said to benefit Sandwich terns (Thalasseus sandvicensis) that would otherwise suffer from predation and defensive behaviors by nesting gulls; removing the gull eggs prompts replacement laying behaviors and postpones anti-tern antics for three crucial weeks. [44]

In 1997, there were 35 licensed collectors who provided 54,000 gull eggs for the UK market. [44] In 2016, there were but 18 licensed gull eggers, [38] and a single legally acquired black-headed gull egg went for as much as £10(equivalent to £11.59 in 2021). [45] In 2023, it was reported that over 160,000 black-headed gull eggs had been collected under licence since 2019, leading conservation organizations such as the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to call for an end to gull egging, [46] citing instances when Mediterranean gull (Ichthyaetus melanocephalus) eggs were taken illegally from the Poole Harbour gullery by unlicensed egg collectors. [46] [47] Mediterranean gulls and black-headed gulls look much alike, but the rarer Mediterranean gulls are on the RSPB's Amber List, indicating there is concern about their local conservation status. [46] [47] [48] Similarly, Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) notes that oystercatcher (genus Haematopus) nests may superficially resemble gull nests, but outlines some visible differences and reminds householders that moving or destroying oystercatcher nests and/or eggs is illegal. [49]

A black-headed gull's egg is the size of a bantam hen's egg. [44] When purchased "in bulk", 20 black-headed gull eggs are roughly equivalent in food volume to a dozen standard chicken eggs. [2] London restaurants and gentleman's clubs frequently serve gull eggs soft-boiled, seasoned with celery salt or paired with the spring vegetable asparagus. [50] [23] [43] Circa 1971, Irston R. Barnes  [ d ], an economist and former chairman of the American Audubon Society, wrote that the taste of London-restaurant gull eggs was unremarkable except for a faintly oily quality. [6] In 1993, British chef and food writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall found gulls' eggs to be more or less undistinguished in flavor compared to ordinary chicken eggs. [25] He did, however, find them visually pleasing and enhanced by the "indubitable aphrodisiac of price". [25]

Scandinavia

The only enemies that the gull has, besides nature, are themselves and, in the spring, human beings. Gull eggs taste as good as their bodies do foul. Egg-hunting was the duty of the women and the children, and no duty was ever performed with lighter hearts.

Erik Christian Haugaard, Hakon of Rogen's Saga (1963) [51]

Gull eggs are sold in shops in Norway. [18] Norwegians often pair gull eggs with Mack beer, which is called Mack-øl og måseegg. [18] [52] There are concerns about collectors mistakenly harvesting eggs from the vulnerable black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla). [53] The Norwegian Food Safety Authority discourages the consumption of gull eggs by children, and women who could become pregnant, due to unsafe levels of toxic compounds including polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and dioxins. [54] In Svalbard, seabird egging is generally prohibited but the "Governor of Svalbard may issue special permits to allow egg collecting" from the common eider duck (Somateria mollissima), great black-backed gull (Larus marinus), and glaucous gull (Larus hyperboreus). [9] Seabird egging has been banned in mainland Finland since 1962. [9] In Iceland it is legal to harvest eggs from black-headed, great black-backed, lesser black-backed (Larus fuscus), herring (Larus argentatus argenteus), and glaucous gulls' nests through 1 June. [9]

Great black-backed gull (Larus marinus) sitting on a nest of eggs in Sweden in 2016 Birds of Sweden 2016 20.jpg
Great black-backed gull ( Larus marinus ) sitting on a nest of eggs in Sweden in 2016

North America

For personal use, Greenland permits collection of great black-backed gull eggs until 31 May each year. [9] Glaucous-gull eggs can be harvested until 15 June. [11] Those collecting gull eggs to sell at the kalaaliaraq markets must first purchase a hunting license. [9]

American herring gull (Larus smithsonianus) eggs were historically collected in the eastern provinces of Canada, sometimes preserved for the remainder of the year in waterglass. [55] The Ahousat and Anaham First Nations of British Columbia, Canada, also harvest wild gull eggs. [56] One Ahousat family goes gull egging three times over the course of one week in June, and usually takes one of the three eggs laid in each nest. [57]

Native Alaskans have long collected the eggs of the glaucous-winged gull (Larus glaucescens) when seasonally available from mid-May to mid-June each year. [58] However, by the 1960s, the U.S. National Park Service had prohibited this indigenous practice within what had historically been Tlingit tribal lands. [58] Then, more 50 years after the annual collections were disrupted, the Huna Tlingit Traditional Gull Egg Use Act, passed into law by the U.S. federal government in 2014, reauthorized gull-egg collection at five locations within Glacier Bay National Park by Tlingit people. [12] Frank Wright Jr., president of the Hoonah Indian Association, said of the practice, "The elders need their traditional foods, because happiness heals." [59] Iñupiat would use one gull egg in place of two chicken eggs when baking. [21] Yup'ik people also participate in managed harvests of seabird and gull eggs. [1] According to an Edible magazine account of a Yup'ik egg hunt, "Once in awhile, an egg will be harvested after having been incubated for several days. These yolks have a thick texture of custard and the whites will be runny when boiled." [1] Gull eggs collected on the coast of Alaska may be used in "tricked-out" boxed-cake-mix cakes that are popular in Alaskan communities. [60]

Egging without a permit is illegal in the contiguous United States under various federal laws including the Lacey Act of 1900, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, and the Endangered Species Act of 1969. [14] [61] [62] [63] [lower-alpha 2] In the 19th century, Western gull eggs (Larus occidentalis) were taken on the Farallones off San Francisco for personal consumption, [16] and at the beginning of the annual season, before other seabirds' eggs became widely available. [65] On balance, however, gull eggs were considered a fragile, unreliable product compared to the preferred murre (Uria aalge) eggs that were to be the ultimate prize of the Egg War. [16] [65] Heermann's gull (Larus heermanni) eggs have been harvested from the islands of Baja California, Mexico. [13]

See also

Notes

  1. Black-headed gull eggs are smaller than chicken eggs.
  2. Some introduced species, including house sparrows and starlings, are exempt from these protections. [64]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gull</span> Seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari

Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and only distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century, most gulls were placed in the genus Larus, but that arrangement is now considered polyphyletic, leading to the resurrection of several genera. An older name for gulls is mews, which is cognate with German Möwe, Danish måge, Swedish mås, Dutch meeuw, Norwegian måke/måse and French mouette, and can still be found in certain regional dialects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-headed gull</span> Species of bird

The black-headed gull is a small gull that breeds in much of the Palearctic including Europe and also in coastal eastern Canada. Most of the population is migratory and winters further south, but some birds reside in the milder westernmost areas of Europe. Small numbers also occur in northeastern North America, where it was formerly known as the common black-headed gull. As is the case with many gulls, it was previously placed in the genus Larus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European herring gull</span> Species of bird

The European herring gull is a large gull, up to 66 cm (26 in) long. Common in coastal regions of Western Europe, it was historically more abundant. It breeds across Northern Europe, Western Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and the Baltic states. Some European herring gulls, especially those resident in colder areas, migrate further south in winter, but many are permanent residents, such as in Ireland, Britain, Iceland, or on the North Sea shores. They have a varied diet, including fish, crustaceans, as well as some plants, and are also scavengers, consuming carrion and food left by or stolen from humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great black-backed gull</span> Species of bird

The great black-backed gull is the largest member of the gull family. Described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology as "the king of the Atlantic waterfront", it is a very aggressive hunter, pirate, and scavenger. It breeds on the European and North American coasts and islands of the North Atlantic and is fairly sedentary, though some move farther south or inland to large lakes or reservoirs. The adult great black-backed gull has a white head, neck and underparts, dark grey wings and back, pink legs and yellow bill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser black-backed gull</span> Species of bird

The lesser black-backed gull is a large gull that breeds on the Atlantic coasts of Europe. It is migratory, wintering from the British Isles south to West Africa. However, it has increased dramatically in North America, especially along the east coast. Formerly just a winter visitor to North America, it now occurs in large numbers some winters and many birds are now spotted year-round. The species has become an annual winter visitor in California, with birds reported around most of the state, including at the Salton Sea. There is now serious concern about decline in many parts of its range. The species is on the RSPB Amber List because the UK is home to 40 per cent of the European population and more than half of these are found at fewer than ten sites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glaucous gull</span> Species of bird

The glaucous gull is a large gull, the second-largest gull in the world. The genus name is from Latin larus, which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific name hyperboreus is Latin for "northern" from the Ancient Greek Huperboreoi people from the far north "Glaucous" is from Latin glaucus and denotes the grey colour of the gull. An older English name for this species is burgomaster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iceland gull</span> Species of bird in the genus Larus

The Iceland gull is a medium-sized gull that breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada and Greenland, but not in Iceland, where it is only seen during winter. The genus name is from Latin larus, which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific name glaucoides denotes its resemblance to Larus glaucus, a synonym of Larus hyperboreus, the glaucous gull; -oides is Ancient Greek and means "resembling".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bonaparte's gull</span> Species of bird

Bonaparte's gull is a member of the gull family Laridae found mainly in northern North America. At 28 to 38 cm in length, it is one of the smallest species of gull. Its plumage is mainly white with grey upperparts. During breeding season, Bonaparte's gull gains a slaty-black hood. The sexes are similar in appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pallas's gull</span> Species of bird

Pallas's gull, also known as the great black-headed gull, is a large bird species. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus Larus. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. Ichthyaetus is from ikhthus, "fish", and aetos, "eagle".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-legged gull</span> Species of bird

The yellow-legged gull is a large gull found in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, which has only recently achieved wide recognition as a distinct species. It was formerly treated as a subspecies of either the Caspian gull L. cachinnans, or more broadly as a subspecies of the herring gull L. argentatus. The genus name is from Latin Larus which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird, and the species name honours the German zoologist Karl Michahelles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-legged kittiwake</span> Species of bird

The black-legged kittiwake is a seabird species in the gull family Laridae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California gull</span> Species of bird

The California gull is a medium-sized gull, smaller on average than the herring gull, but larger on average than the ring-billed gull. It lives not just in California, but up and down the entire Western coast of North America, and has breeding ground inland. The yellow bill has a black ring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western gull</span> Species of bird

The western gull is a large white-headed gull that lives on the west coast of North America and the Pacific Ocean. The western gull ranges from British Columbia, Canada, to Baja California, Mexico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-footed gull</span> Species of bird

The yellow-footed gull is a large gull, closely related to the western gull and thought to be a subspecies until the 1960s. It is endemic to the Gulf of California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glaucous-winged gull</span> Species of bird

The glaucous-winged gull is a large, white-headed gull. The genus name is from Latin Larus which appears to have referred to a gull or other large seabird. The specific glaucescens is Neo-Latin for "glaucous" from the Ancient Greek, glaukos, denoting the grey color of its wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumlien's gull</span> Subspecies of bird

Kumlien's gull is a subspecies of the Iceland gull. It is a large gull which breeds in the Arctic regions of Canada. It is migratory, wintering from Labrador south to New England and west across the Great Lakes. The subspecies is named after the naturalist Ludwig Kumlien. It is a regular vagrant in small numbers to Britain and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belcher's gull</span> Species of bird

Belcher's gull, also known as the band-tailed gull, is a bird in the family Laridae found along the Pacific coast of South America. It formerly included the very similar Olrog's gull as a subspecies, but that bird occurs on the Atlantic coast of South America and is now accepted as Larus atlanticus. Belcher's gull is a medium-sized gull with a blackish mantle, white head and underparts, a black band on the otherwise white tail, and a yellow bill with a red and black tip. Non-breeding adults have a brownish-black head and a white eye-ring. The name of this bird commemorates the British explorer Sir Edward Belcher who performed survey work on the Pacific coast of South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American herring gull</span> Species of bird

The American herring gull or Smithsonian gull is a large gull that breeds in North America, where it is treated by the American Ornithological Society as a subspecies of herring gull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plover eggs</span> Archaic wild-harvested food

Plover eggs were a type of eggs-as-food seasonal delicacy of western Europe. Gathered from wild green-plover nests, a practice called plover egging, these eggs were perceived to be particularly flavorful and were snatched up by avid rural foragers and, in turn, their urban customers, as soon as nesting season began each year. The ground-nesting green plover is more formally the northern lapwing, binomial name Vanellus vanellus. Golden plover nests were egged when they could be found.

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Further reading