Seagull Pests

General Information

Gulls are typically medium to large birds, usually grey or white with black markings on the head or wings. They typically have harsh wailing or squawking calls, stout, longish bills, and webbed feet. Most gulls are ground-nesting carnivores, which take live food or scavenge opportunistically. Live food often includes crabs and small fish. It is illegal to remove a nest with young in it, usually between April and June. Seagulls are attentive and caring parents; the male and female pair for life and they take turns incubating the eggs, and feeding and protecting the chicks. Gulls have a complex and highly developed repertoire for communication which includes a range of vocalisations and body movements. Seagulls are also very clever; they learn, remember and even pass on behaviours, such as stamping their feet in a group to imitate rainfall which tricks earthworms to come to the surface.

Quick Facts

Type: Bird Diet: Omnivore Life span: 10-15 years Size: 30-75 cm Weight: 120 to 1750 g Habitat: Coastlines, bays, major lakes and urban areas Range: Global Scientific name: Laridae

Fun facts

• Gulls have unhinging jaws which allow them to consume large prey.

• A small claw halfway up their lower leg enables them to sit and roost on high ledges without being blown off.

• Many seagulls have learned to conserve energy by hovering over bridges in order to absorb raising heat from paved roadways.

• Seagulls can drink both fresh and salt water. Most animals are unable to do this, but seagulls have a special pair of glands right above their eyes which is specifically designed to flush the salt from their systems through openings in the bill.

Treatment

Every bird situation is different and therefore a bespoke course of action is taken in controlling this pest for you, our customers.

Give us a call: 020 8914 8285