Gull Eggs: The Topic

[Peter the eater]

There is a mountain of egg info in the eGullet forums, but only one topic mentioning gull eggs specifically.

Who's using gull eggs?

What do you do with them?

How do you get them?

How do they compare to other egg types?

[suzilightning]

the first question is - are they a protected species under international migratory bird treaty?

my second question is - since they are at the top of the food chain and eat fish primarily are the eggs subjected to having high levels of heavy metals or other chemicals in them?

as to how to gather them i think it was in Roger Tory Peterson's book Wild America when he described walking among nesting colonies of gulls up in nova scotia and how he could have just plucked the eggs off the nest. i do know in england egg collectors would rappel the cliffs to remove eggs from nesting gannet. i would think you would want to wear a hard hat, though.

[jackal10]

Gull eggs are a seasonal delight, generally Mid April to early May.

They are collected in the season by collectors. In the UK they must be licenced by DEFRA, the government Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. If taken in the season, and provided the nest is not emptied, the gull obligingly lays another egg as a replacement.

They are traditionally eaten soft boiled, with toast soldiers as a starter

As its says in http://blogs.independent.co.uk/independent...go-to-work.html

"they are generally only [served] at the more traditional British restaurants and clubs." About £3.50 each.

[suzilightning]

ahhh...

i knew one of our british brethern would be able to answer. still my concern on the north american continent is now mainly about heavy metals.

[Peter the eater]

Gull eggs are a seasonal delight, generally Mid April to early May.

They are collected in the season by collectors. In the UK they must be licenced by DEFRA, the government Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. If taken in the season, and provided the nest is not emptied, the gull obligingly lays another egg as a replacement.

They are traditionally eaten soft boiled, with toast soldiers as a starter

As its says in http://blogs.independent.co.uk/independent...go-to-work.html

"they are generally only [served] at the more traditional British restaurants and clubs." About £3.50 each.

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Seasonal, pricey and traditional -- I want some!

How does it work when you're collecting wild nest eggs? In a hen house, you can always tell what's fresh and unfertilized.

What species are harvested? My neighborhood is overrun with gulls, there's a dozen on my roof right now. Herring, Ring-billed, Glaucous, they're all there. Probably some uber-hybrids that will ultimately inherit the earth, along with cockroaches and rats. Extermination is not my motivation, I'm just practical.

[Magictofu]

Gull eggs are a seasonal delight, generally Mid April to early May.

They are collected in the season by collectors. In the UK they must be licenced by DEFRA, the government Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. If taken in the season, and provided the nest is not emptied, the gull obligingly lays another egg as a replacement.

They are traditionally eaten soft boiled, with toast soldiers as a starter

As its says in http://blogs.independent.co.uk/independent...go-to-work.html

"they are generally only [served] at the more traditional British restaurants and clubs." About £3.50 each.

←

Seasonal, pricey and traditional -- I want some!

How does it work when you're collecting wild nest eggs? In a hen house, you can always tell what's fresh and unfertilized.

What species are harvested? My neighborhood is overrun with gulls, there's a dozen on my roof right now. Herring, Ring-billed, Glaucous, they're all there. Probably some uber-hybrids that will ultimately inherit the earth, along with cockroaches and rats. Extermination is not my motivation, I'm just practical.

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Peter, I am quite sure that, in Canada, it is illegal to collect gull eggs. I believe it falls under the Migratory Birds Convention Act.

[petite tête de chou]

Considering that gulls eat a lot of fish, do their eggs taste fishy?

[Mallet]

Peter, I am quite sure that, in Canada, it is illegal to collect gull eggs. I believe it falls under the Migratory Birds Convention Act.

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This is essentially correct

The taking of nests or eggs of migratory game or insectivorous or nongame birds shall be prohibited, except for scientific or propagating purposes under such laws or regulations as the High Contracting Powers may severally deem appropriate.

Gulls are a nongame migratory bird (Full Act)

[Nayan Gowda]

Considering that gulls eat a lot of fish, do their eggs taste fishy?

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In the UK their diet seems to be predominantly discarded human food waste; I wonder if they taste of fries?

On a more serious note, we used to have Gulls Eggs on the menu at the restaurant I worked at. They were served with the yolks just set and a side of celery salt. I remember both Jane Grigson and Andre Simone saying that this was the classic way to eat them.

Can't actually tell you what they tasted like as I never had the chance to eat one!

[Peter the eater]

Gull eggs are a seasonal delight, generally Mid April to early May.

They are collected in the season by collectors. In the UK they must be licenced by DEFRA, the government Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. If taken in the season, and provided the nest is not emptied, the gull obligingly lays another egg as a replacement.

They are traditionally eaten soft boiled, with toast soldiers as a starter

As its says in http://blogs.independent.co.uk/independent...go-to-work.html

"they are generally only [served] at the more traditional British restaurants and clubs." About £3.50 each.

←

Jackal10, thanks for the link. That same blog also says:

About the size of bantam eggs, with mottled sea-green shells, the bright-yolked gull's eggs are prized for their richness and slightly fishy flavour.

It would be a challenging market to develop here in Canada, not unlike the recent squab fiasco. Over here there's an enormous population of gulls, also known as flying rats or shithawks.

[Magictofu]

It would be a challenging market to develop here in Canada, not unlike the recent squab fiasco. Over here there's an enormous population of gulls, also known as flying rats or shithawks.

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Seagulls are a nuisance almost everywhere in this country and the fact that they are protected these days is simply weird. I have heard that some people in Newfoundland used to gather these eggs a long time ago and that some Inuits are still practicing their traditional seabirds egg gathering.

In Quebec, I am only aware of three types of wild meat currently available to customers: wild rabbit (almost always frozen as there is only one accredited meat processor in the province), caribou meat from native hunts and seal meat from the very controversial seal hunt (I'm not too sure about the legality of this last one either). And even then, these are hard to find. The rest of the "wild meat" is actually farmed.

Martin Picard, Chef at au Pied de Cochon in Montreal, once argued that rules should be put in place to allow the commerce of sustainably harvested wild meat in the province. Often, this is what tourists are asking for when they visit the province and the country as a whole given Canada's reputation for its wilderness.

[Peter the eater]

Seagulls are a nuisance almost everywhere in this country and the fact that they are protected these days is simply weird. I have heard that some people in Newfoundland used to gather these eggs a long time ago and that some Inuits are still practicing their traditional seabirds egg gathering.

I read something about Labrador residents collecting cormorant and gull eggs for personal consumption. If one has a Status Card there are lots of hunting privileges:

". . . . if you live in Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta, your right to hunt, trap and fish, except for commercial purposes, is guaranteed by the Natural Resources Transfer Agreements, 1930."

"Registered Indians who live in the Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories are free to fish and hunt in all seasons throughout the territories."

- from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada

[Mallet]

Seagulls are a nuisance almost everywhere in this country and the fact that they are protected these days is simply weird. I have heard that some people in Newfoundland used to gather these eggs a long time ago and that some Inuits are still practicing their traditional seabirds egg gathering.

In Quebec, I am only aware of three types of wild meat currently available to customers: wild rabbit (almost always frozen as there is only one accredited meat processor in the province), caribou meat from native hunts and seal meat from the very controversial seal hunt (I'm not too sure about the legality of this last one either). And even then, these are hard to find. The rest of the "wild meat" is actually farmed.

Martin Picard, Chef at au Pied de Cochon in Montreal, once argued that rules should be put in place to allow the commerce of sustainably harvested wild meat in the province. Often, this is what tourists are asking for when they visit the province and the country as a whole given Canada's reputation for its wilderness.

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Define "nuisance". Why is it weird that seagulls should be protected to the same extent as, say, yellow warblers?

Having said that, I too support the sale of carefully monitored wild meat. I see it as a tremendous culinary opportunity, and also a tool of development in remote areas. Personally I think a monetarily valuable hunt for wild meat is likely to be far less damaging to wildlife habitat than most current forestry practices, for example.

[Magictofu]

Define "nuisance". Why is it weird that seagulls should be protected to the same extent as, say, yellow warblers?

Having said that, I too support the sale of carefully monitored wild meat. I see it as a tremendous culinary opportunity, and also a tool of development in remote areas. Personally I think a monetarily valuable hunt for wild meat is likely to be far less damaging to wildlife habitat than most current forestry practices, for example.

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I should not say that they are a nuisance everywhere in the country but in many areas, the ring billed gull certainly is. Its population has soared in part due to change in its feeding habits. In some places, I have heard that they almost completely wiped out entire colonies of birds (they eat eggs and small birds), polute water with excessive "nutrients" and wipe out the vegetation around their nesting areas.

The protection of a species that is not endangered and that is causing environmental damage seems weird to me.

[Peter the eater]

. . . . I too support the sale of carefully monitored wild meat. I see it as a tremendous culinary opportunity, and also a tool of development in remote areas. Personally I think a monetarily valuable hunt for wild meat is likely to be far less damaging to wildlife habitat than most current forestry practices, for example.

I totally agree. If there's demand but no plan on how to legally deliver something, then there's trouble. One way to thwart poachers is to develop and manage the resource.

Since I don't own a gun, I'd love somebody to sell me bear, moose, seal, etc. If somebody had a registered quota or something and legally brought the stuff to market, I'd try it.

[adirion]

Marco Pierre White has a show, Great British Feast I believe it was where he showed how gulls eggs were collected and made a dish with them