Listen: Screeching 9-year-old gets highest score in European seagull contest

Competitors squawk it out at European Gull Screeching Championship

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. (Credit: Niel Van Herck via Storyful)

There’s a European Championship for gull (as in seagulls) screeching.

People young and old gathered in De Panne, Belgium, on April 21, to test their chops at imitating a seagull.

"When at the sea, you always hear the screeching of seagulls. They are acrobats in the air, giving you the time of your life. A gull screeching brings back good memories," the Gull Screeching website reads.

FILE - A competitor showcases his best seagull screech. (Niel Van Herck via Storyful)

Contestants were seen wearing costumes and fans packed the venue where the competition was being held.

There are three different categories in the competition: adults, juniors and colony (meaning a group).

This year, one 9-year-old boy stole the show with his impressive seagull squawk and placed first in the junior category and snagged the highest score overall.

Cooper Wallace, of the United Kingdom, scored a 92/100, according to the competition website.

FILE - Cooper Wallace, 9, seen competing in the European Championship of Gull Screeching. (Niel Van Herck via Storyful)

"He managed to include several call types in his performance and each of them resembled a real seagull call in a most impressive way," Jan Seys, a marine biologist and one of the judges of the screeching contest, told the BBC. "In fact, for me, he was not only the best of the young participants, but of all those who took part in the championship."

Simao Joao, of Portugal, won in the adults category with an 87/100, and Team Loïc Devos Anzegem won in the colony category with an 88/100.

Storyful contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.