Bird Species

Gulls

Gulls, often colloquially referred to as seagulls, are highly resourceful and intelligent birds. They are capable of using tools, problem solving, and learning from each other.

Understand the Problem

Issues Caused By Gulls

If you live in an area with a high gull population, their impact is evident. High populations of gulls negatively impact beaches, properties with bodies of water, and industrial/retail/office buildings. Gulls can create issues such as:

Solutions

How to Manage Issues
with Gulls

To manage gull populations, Wild Goose Chase recommends a combination of the following tactics:

Diverse Range of Species

Learn More About the Species

Appearance

Ring billed gulls are smaller gulls, distinguished by yellow-green legs and a black band around their yellow bill. They are also more commonly seen inland. Herring gulls are much larger, with pink feet and robust bodies. They have a red spot near the tip of their lower bill. Both species have grey back and grey wings with black tips.

Behavior

Gulls are social birds. They flock together and spend time along shorelines picking food off the surface of the water. Gulls can also be found inland, foraging for food both afloat and on foot.

Diet

Gulls are omnivorous, varying their diet with location and season. They prefer fish, insects, worms, grain, rodents, and refuse. Ring billed gulls will also forage in freshly plowed fields. Herring gulls near the ocean will feed on schools of fish near the surface, as well as scavenge refuse and carrion.

Habitat

Gulls live near lakes, bays, coasts, piers, dumps, and plowed fields. Gulls like water in all seasons but will eat on land. They are also common around human altered habitats.

Nesting

They breed in colonies, building nests on the ground and on flat rooftops near water, in an area with sparse plant growth. Nests for ring billed gulls will have 2-4 eggs typically, unless a female pair share nest. Herring gulls will usually have 3 eggs, sometimes less, but very rarely 4 eggs.

Migration

Ring-billed gulls migrate in flocks, following coastlines or major river systems. They move farther south in winter. Herring gulls are present year-round as far north as the great lakes, southern Alaska, and New England. Younger birds will migrate further south than older birds in winter.

Protected Status

Yes, protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act in the US.

Sources: The Audubon Society, Cornell Lab of Ornithology bird guide, Humane Society of the United States, Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management