Tap-dancing Seagulls Are Lookin’ for Dinner
Despite being known as scavengers, seagulls do occasionally dance for their dinner—literally—when it comes to earthworms. Just as the soil dwellers instinctively make their way to the surface after it rains, seagulls rhythmically tap their feet on the ground in a ”rain dance” that tricks their prey into thinking it’s raining.
Also known as “worm charming,” the dance produces vibrations that mimic the pitter-patter of raindrops and attracts earthworms in the same way an alluring flame attracts a moth. That earthworms brave the surface in search of food, thus increasing their chances of becoming food, is essentially the circle of life in microcosm — and a reminder of the ways in which species are constantly adapting to each other’s habits to gain an advantage.
Source: animalfacts.com, Michael Nordine, November 2, 2026
Contributed by Jane Hart