In following the gulls-eat-birds thread, I was surprised to see doubt
expressed that gulls would eat large alcids (puffins were the example).

The 'tourist' facilities at Sea Lion Caves on the central Oregon Coast
are one of the few places that one can observe *nesting* Rhinoceros
Auklets tending the nestlings, etc. - during the daytime. In most
situations, Western Gulls will attack, kill and eat the adults as they
enter or leave the nesting burrows. Rhinos will generally only attend
the burrow during the night, as will the Cassin's auklets, storm-petrels,
etc.

At the Sea Lion Caves, the Rhinos can get up enough momentum and speed to
elude the gulls (or, at least make it 'energetically inefficient' for the
gulls to pursue the auklets) by the time they exit the caves. The gulls
do not enter the caves.

I've not *seen* gulls eat puffins or auklets, but I have seen them
swallow whole a 2/3-plus-grown common murre chick that washed up alive on
the beach as the males lead the chicks northward from the colonies
(August or Sept?). There's no doubt in my mind that, with a little effort, a
large gull could swallow a puffin...

Jon. Anderson
Olympia, WA
anderjda at dfw.wa.gov