Video of 'dancing' Welsh Herring Gull becomes Internet sensation

A video posted on YouTube supposedly portrays a man 'teaching' an adult Herring Gull to 'dance' for chips in New Quay, Ceredigion.

The footage depicts the gull tapping its feet when commanded to "dance", each time being rewarded with a deep-fried treat, as another individual looks on.

The sequence is quickly becoming an internet sensation as it spreads across social media platforms.

Quite why the Herring Gull is choosing to patter its feet in this situation, on concrete and apparently on command, is unclear. However, 'dancing' in this manner is a well-known tactic used by many bird species, including gulls, to imitate rain drops and lure worms to ground surface level, on which they then prey. It seems feasible that the gull had simply linked its worm-baiting trick to the acquisition of food — albeit in this instance greasy chips rather than worms.