Seagulls feasting on swarms of flying ants have disrupted traffic and made headlines across the UK. Some claim that the gulls are 'drunk', but can eating ants really intoxicate these birds?
Many ant species produce formic acid as a defence mechanism and this is toxic to birds. So, it’s theoretically possible that gorging on ants might make seagulls a little disoriented.
However, the black garden ants that swarm across UK pavements in the summer only produce very small quantities of formic acid.
Experts think it’s more likely that the birds are just so focused on eating that they don’t even notice the cars.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Barney Case, via email) 'Can seagulls really get drunk on flying ants?'
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