A nine-year-old British boy has won an international seagull screeching competition with his uncanny impression of the bird.
Cooper Wallace initially irritated his parents with his impersonations, but he is now champion of Europe thanks to his unusual talent.
‘My school friends thought it was annoying at first. But not now. I did it,’ the youngster from Derbyshire said proudly.
The bird enthusiast travelled with his parents and sister from his home in Chesterfield to attend the European Gull Screeching Champions in La Panne, Belgium.
All his practice paid off, and he came out on top against dozens of other competitors, with an impressive 92 out of 100 points – the highest score in both the youth and adult categories.
Cooper Wallace is seen participating in the fourth annual meeuwenschreeuwen, or ‘gull screams competition’
‘Your life will never be the same again,’ he was told by organiser Claude Willaert, who noted that it was ‘a double first, as the UK was represented at our European championships for the first time.’
Cooper decided he wanted to become ‘Seagull Boy’ – just like how Peter Parker became Spider Man after being bitten by an arachnid – when he was nipped by a bird while eating a tuna sandwich at the beach.
‘I feel like they are a really nice animal, I like them because of their noise,’ he told the BBC, though he admitted he was still ‘wary’ of the birds, when eating by the sea.
While his high-pitched shrieks were at first annoying to those around him, his mum Lauren began to realise that he had a talent.
‘People would start to turn around and look for the seagull,’ she said.
The family were told about the competition while enjoying a day out at a soft play centre, when Lauren told Cooper’s sister to follow the seagull sound to find him.
He said a man overheard and ‘could not stop laughing’, before telling them about the competition in Belgium.
The family decided to attend the fourth annual meeuwenschreeuwen, or ‘gull screams competition’ on Sunday, and Cooper impressed judges with his skill.
A panel of expert judges scored Cooper and other contestants on their shrieks and acting
Jan Seys, a marine biologist and one of the judges, said: ‘He managed to include several call types in his performance and each of them resembled a real seagull call in a most impressive way.
‘In fact, for me, he was not only the best of the young participants, but of all those who took part in the championship.’
Like many of his fellow contestants, Cooper dressed up and behaved like one of the birds for the contest, even lunging at a large cone of chips held by his sister Shelby.
A jury awards points based on the screeching, which amounts to 75 per cent of the total score, and acting, which makes up the remainder.
Competitors are told to ‘screech and behave as a seagull. Do it well, because you have only one chance’.
The calls are marked on their ‘timbre’, ‘rhythm’ and ‘variation’, Mr Seys added, pointing out that seagulls’ sounds vary depending on the situation.
The calls are marked on their ‘timbre’, ‘rhythm’ and ‘variation’, according to one of the judges
‘Seagulls have a fairly extensive repertoire of sounds,’ he said, ‘ranging from alarm calls to long calls that make it clear that they do not want any unwanted intruders in their territory.’
‘The gull caller who can capture this variation well, and demonstrate it as truthfully as possible, wins.’
The aim of the competition, which is judged by seabird experts, is to give the often unpopular birds a better reputation and prevent ‘friction between seagulls and humans’, according to organisers.
One Belgium contestant, who took third place in the adult contest, declared that people should ‘stop calling them the rats of the coast or of the sky.’
Joke De Keyrel, 26, told The Times: ‘Every time I come to the seaside, I associate their cries with happiness, tranquillity, peace, in short, a wonderful feeling,’ before vowing: ‘Next year I will return for gold.’