Kicker: Call of the wild

MARY REICHARD, HOST: You know how kids can make noises that you’d rather not hear? England’s Lauren Wallace knows all about it. Her nine year old son Cooper kept mimicking sea gulls.

LAUREN WALLACE: And we kept encouraging him to stop. And then we heard about the competition, and it was encouraging him to practice. Much to the annoyance of the neighbors. Sorry, neighbors. (laughs)

But that led to Cooper’s championship call in Belgium last week for the EC Gull Screeching Competition:

JUDGE: A sea gull that is hungry?

SOUND: [Screeches and cheers]

Contestants are judged on dress, behavior, and sound. Marine biologist Jan Seys was one of the judges:

JAN SEYS: Actually it’s real science. Before you can really imitate a gull, you have to make nice observations. Otherwise you will never make it.

The aim of the competition is to raise appreciation for the sea birds, often disparaged as “rats of the sea.”

LINDSAY MAST, HOST: Good luck getting him to stop now, mom!

REICHARD: It’s The World and Everything in It.

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