lesser black-backed gull with cockle

Have you ever found one of these shells on Sanibel Island that you couldn’t identify? I’ve been asked to identify this shell with a thick “lip” and one long “wing” hundreds of times.

cracked cockles by birds

It happens to be a broken ATLANTIC GIANT COCKLE (most likely they are juvenile shells that are cracked).

Atlantic Giant Cockles

… and most likely it was cracked by a bird like this LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL.

Lesser black-backed gull on Sanibel Florida beach

Wanna see how this bird can crack the case of the COCKLE shell? It’s fascinating! This is a VERY. SMART. BIRD.

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pam rambo shelling trips