Competitors squawk it out at European seagull screeching championship

BELGIUM -- People young and old gathered in De Panne, Belgium, on April 21, for the European Championships of Gullscreeching.

Footage recorded by Niel Van Herck shows the event, where competitors -- often in fancy dress -- did their best impressions of a screeching seagull while a full house watched on.

The event, which is in its fourth year, was attended by competitors from countries, including England, Sweden, and France.

The title was taken by a Portuguese scientist, Belgian media reported.

In the junior category, a fledgling competitor from the UK, nine-year-old Cooper Wallace, took the win with a performance that included lunging at some fries held by his little sister, Shelby.

Competitors were scored on both the sound of the screech and how well they understood gull behavior, the event organizer told local media.