Filmmaker, conservationist swoop in to change perceptions of pizza-stealing gulls

This story is part of theCBC Creator Networkseries. The Creator Networkamplifies the voices of the next generation of Canadian storytellers and connects them with CBC platforms, where they tell compelling stories andshare unique perspectives that reflect the country in all its diversity. To check out more from the Creator Network,tap here.

Gulls tend to be considered anuisance, stealing french fries or even entire slices of pizzaand squawking while you try to enjoy a quiet afternoon at the beach.

But conservationist Connel Bradwell and filmmaker Ryan Wilkes are trying to change how we view the birds.

"I think that the reputation is pretty harsh," Bradwell told CBC's The Early Edition. "The more we learned about them, the more interesting they became."

Bradwell and Wilkessaid theyobserved the birds inurban settings andin nature to gain a better understanding of them.

WATCH | What's to love about gulls:

They're 'opportunistic omnivores'

Gulls, Bradwell said, are considered "opportunistic omnivores," meaning they'll eat just about anything.

In the wild, away from urban settings, they feed on sea stars, crabs and other shellfish. They often drop shells onto rocks to crack them open and accessthe food inside.

"I even saw them using the road," Bradwell said."They would drop a shell onto the road, a car would run over the shell and they'd come in and pick up the pieces."

Anyone who's ever been to Vancouver's Granville Island has seen how the urban gulls operate:the birds dive-bomb tourists to grab a couple of fries, or swallow a slice of pizza whole.

"Gulls are turning to foods like french fries and eating garbage because the availability of the food in the ocean is not as plentiful as it once was," Wilkes said.

Their habits say something about the environment

Gulls are a species that, based on their habits,could tell researchers and conservationists about what's going on in the broader ecosystem, Wilkessaid.

He said their mere presencein urban spaces is something to note.

"They're telling us by being in these urban areas, by causing a ruckus, by being annoying, that maybe there's problems out in the ocean."

For example, Wilkes said, food may not be as plentiful as it once was in shorelines,their natural habitats.

According toresearcher Louise Blight, if the bird's population declines, it could signal to biologists that something "profound" is happening in the area in which they live.

They recognize screeches and faces

There's no mistaking the call of the gull: a loud shriek, which only gets louderas they gather.Even Disney acknowledged this in their portrayal of the birds inFinding Nemo.

But though it mightsound obnoxious to us, Bradwell says the birds have their own unique voices, similar to humans. That shriekingcall is their form of talking something gull chicks learn primarily toidentify their parents.

"It's actually very sophisticated," Bradwell said.

LISTEN | What makes gulls, a highly intelligent species, so special:

Not only do they recognize their unique calls, Bradwell said, butthey also recognize human faces, similar to crows.

"That made me think,'Oh gosh, was I ever horrible to a gull?Will they remember me?'" Bradwell said with a laugh.

"I have definitely been nicer to the ones around my neighborhood now knowing that they might remember my face."