 Hartlaub's gull has accommodated well to humans, and can become very tame around habitations.It is an omnivore like most "larus" gulls, and they will scavenge at tips and feed on scraps as well as seeking suitable small prey, often by wading in shallow water.Although it is a relatively rare species, about the tenth rarest of the world's 50 or so gull species, it is common in its range and is widely regarded in Cape Town as a nuisance, fouling buildings and bathing in urban ponds.