Their chips are down: New Zealand seagulls under threat after 'unbelievable declines'

The birds are severely at risk, but there is little public awareness or sympathy for their plight

Squawking, chip-stealing seagulls are under threat in New Zealand, with some colonies experiencing "unbelievable declines", and others disappearing altogether over the past few decades.

New Zealand is home to three species of seagull but the native red-billed seagull - the beady-eyed interloper who makes an appearance at every beach picnic up and down the country - is the most common.