How do herring gull chicks learn where to peck for food?

Herring gull chicks (Larus argentatus) appear to possess an innate, genetically based ability to identify where to peck for food. When adult gulls have food for their young, they point their bills downward and wave them slowly in front of the chicks, which instinctively peck at the red spot located on the lower tip of the parent's bill.1

Ethologists have historically classified this behavior as a fixed action pattern, suggesting it is performed automatically and correctly the first time it is elicited, regardless of prior experience. However, modern animal behaviorists view this as a complex interaction between genes and the environment rather than a strictly innate or learned behavior.1

While the initial response is highly accurate, a chick's pecking precision improves with age. Furthermore, as development progresses—typically after about two days—the chicks require the complete configuration of an adult's head and bill, rather than just the red spot, to elicit the pecking response. This indicates that while the behavior is steered by genetic predispositions, it is refined through developmental processes and environmental interaction.1