Seagulls have 'favourite' fish and chip shops to visit

Do you have a favourite chippy you love to visit for tea? Well according to new research, so do seagulls!

A recent study by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) used special GPS technology to track the movements of 20 herring gulls living in Scotland and north-west England.

They found that at least five of the gulls visited the Wee Hurrie chip shop in Troon, in Scotland, with some flying more than 100 miles to get their fill.

Dr Nina O'Hanlon, who wrote the study, said that some of the gulls even made repeat visits to the chippy!

The scientists tracked the birds' movements over a year to help them to learn where they travel and what they eat during this time.

Herring gulls are often in the news for being a bit cheeky and pinching people's food near beaches in the summer months, but their preferred foods are actually mussels and worms.

The species has been added to the Birds of Conservation Concern Red List due to a steep decline in their population, with numbers of the birds down by 48% since 1986.

Scientists hope their research can help conservationists to learn more about the birds needs and how best to help protect them.