Seagulls in Spring

The gulls (or seagulls) are back! Well, to be fair, they never left. They just all of a sudden seem to be noticeably more vocal than a month ago :) It seems as if as soon as the ice even partially leaves our lakes, the seagulls are there and loud and obnoxious as ever. 

Gulls enjoy a number of Federal and Provincial protections, so permits are required for all bird control activities involving seagulls. Hopefully, you have your permits in place, because once the gulls are nesting and have laid eggs, you're out of luck and will have to wait until the fledglings have left the nest. It's March now and nesting season is just around the corner. 

Gull Nesting

Seagull nesting season typically begins in late March/early April but can last into the month of May with mating and nest building. Both prospective parents partake in the construction of the nest, using materials available in the area they are in. Since there are so many different species of gulls and all of them are quite adaptable, their nesting locations vary from steep cliffs to flat roofs or an indentation in the ground. The female is usually in charge of the nest interior (she's the interior decorator) by sculpting it into a bowl like shape with her body. This will serve to hold and protect her eggs and chicks.

Gull Mating Behaviour

Gulls usually mate for life - and they can reach the age of 30 or more. The male often returns to the colony where he was hatched to find his mate, while a young female typically travels to visit a new colony in the search for her lifetime partner. Together, they will find and set up the perfect forever home, which may well be on your roof!

Gull Breeding

Once the nest is built and the weather is tolerable, the female will lay up to three eggs which her and dad-to-be will take turns sitting on for about 28 days. Now, interestingly, should those two lovebirds not be able to successfully produce healthy offspring, they will split up. Just like that, no lawyers needed. They will both go off and find themselves a new mate. And try again.

Nesting Communities

Gulls are social creatures and have a collective intelligence. They frequently live in nesting communities, where they'll time their nesting and mating so that eggs hatch at the same time and chicks can be cared for by the whole community. This provides the wee ones with a much better chance of survival.

Gulls' Adaptability

Since most people call them 'seagulls' you'd think they live near the ocean. Well, some do. And many don't. In fact, gulls are exceptionally successful in co-existing with humans in all sorts of settings. Check it out:

The Urban Gull

Sophisticated, cultured and with a strong affinity for fine dining, the urban gull... just kidding. None of that is true. Fine dining for a gull means a meal procured with little or no effort. From leftover french fries to the garbage container behind the grocery store, gulls really aren't terribly picky. They have come to accept humans as a necessary evil in a world with plenty of food and shelter. You might go as far as to say they've trained a number of humans to feed them willingly. Not a good idea, by the way. We'll get to that later.

The Rural Gull

Scouring agricultural fields after farmers are done tilling, gulls are on the lookout for small rodents. You can see (and hear!) huge flocks of seagulls hovering over hundreds of acres of agricultural land. Once the fields have been worked and start growing some crops, that's fair game, too. Seagulls and other pest birds (pigeons come to mind) also get into livestock feed (like corn) and invite themselves for a buffet-style meal.

The Beach Bum and the Town Square Tourist

Then there's the gull population determined to exploit tourists, children, and sun worshippers. Donuts, sandwiches, and again with the french fries... they are a ruthless gang of thieves. They are aggressively dive bombing people and pets - anything that moves, really, and could possibly be shook down for food.

DO NOT FEED THE BIRDS!

Have you noticed that all of the points above revolved around food? Yep. And feeding gulls is just 'feeding' into their greed and aggressive behavior (pun intended). Anytime us humans offer food to wildlife, we do them a disservice. Not only is our highly processed food bad for them (and us as well, to be honest) and doesn't meet their nutritional needs but by filling up on junk food, they are less likely to forage for more appropriate and natural nourishment. 

By receiving food from humans, gulls also lose their natural fear of people. Which increases their audacity and aggression when they decide not to wait for a handout, but to take things into their own hands. Well, feet.

What are Legal Methods to Remove or Disburse Seagulls?

With permits, the single most effective way to get rid of seagulls is falconry. A trained bird of prey handled by a skilled falconer will soar above the area that needs to be cleared of gulls. It only takes one raptor to make an entire colony of gulls pack up in great haste and vacate the premises. No birds need to get injured. The mere presence of a bird of prey in the vicinity is enough. Falconry takes advantage of the natural prey/predator relationship between pest birds and birds of prey. Falconry is a completely humane, ethical, and environmentally friendly way to approach Gull Control.

Contact Hawkeye Bird & Animal Control for Gull Removal

Our licensed and experienced falconers are ready to end your gull occupation. The time to act is now - before gulls have nested and laid eggs. We have several dispatch locations across Ontario and the U.S. Call Hawkeye today!