Seagulls dance on grass to trick earthworms into thinking it’s raining.

Despite being known as scavengers, seagulls do occasionally dance for their dinner — literally, when it comes to earthworms. Just as the soil dwellers instinctively make their way to the surface after it rains, seagulls rhythmically tap their feet on the ground in a “rain dance” that tricks their prey into thinking it’s raining. 

Also known as “worm charming,” the dance produces vibrations that mimic the pitter-patter of raindrops and attracts earthworms in the same way an alluring flame attracts a moth. That earthworms brave the surface in search of food, thus increasing their chances of becoming food, is essentially the circle of life in microcosm — and a reminder of the ways in which species are constantly adapting to each other’s habits to gain an advantage.