Seagulls are one of England’s iconic birds, who naturally live by the sea. They eat fish and have special glands to filter out salt, meaning they can drink seawater. However modern life (litter, urbanisation, over-fishing and overtourism) means that many gulls now live off fast food, chips and ice-cream).
Seagulls are beautiful creatures that are highly protected, so report any concerns to wildlife Crime Unit (can be anonymous).. They are wonderful parents who are nearly always nearby watching, even if you see a young gull alone.
The best way to help seagulls is to gently encourage them back to their natural homes of sandy shores, marshy wetland and near rocky cliffs.
Never disturb birds near the coast. This causes them to fly off (wasting energy that could be used to find food). Also disturbing birds can cause them to abandon nests. Read more info on helping seagulls.
How to Humanely Deter Seagulls
Most birds that ‘divebomb’ you have eggs or hatchlings nearby, and are simply trying to feed them. If they do go for you (or your chips), wear a hat or use an umbrella.
Unless starving, don’t feed seagulls as it encourages them to come into contact with dogs, roads and people who don’t like them.
Gull-proof sacks are alternatives to black plastic bags (which are ripped apart by gulls, rats and foxes, and can’t be recycled, as machines don’t recognise the colour). These sacks are made from strong material that are emptied into dust carts, then returned empty to fill again. Some councils are now using them in trials.
PiCAS is an organisation of bird experts that offer services to offices, councils, hospitals etc. It uses humane solutions like dummy eggs that are cheaper and work better than lethal control (they also help with issues for pigeons and doves). Humane Wildlife Solutions Gull Helpline can also help.
How to Help an Injured or Orphaned Gull
Keep a watch first, as parents are usually around (they leave growing gulls for up to a few hours to find food themselves). It’s illegal to disturb gulls or nests, so your local wildlife rescue for help.
If the gull is injured and you can’t contact a wildlife rescue, gently place the bird in a box (with punctured air-holes) and take to your nearest vet, who will put the creature to sleep (or rehab until able to transfer to a wildlife rescuer). Help Wildlife has advice.
Books to Learn More About Seagulls
The Gull Next Door is a beautifully written portrait of a misunderstood bird. The author grew up in an English seaside town and is a passionate advocate for these underappreciated birds, and looks at how we can protect them.
We lived in a tall thin house on the West side of the Old Town, which had a thriving herring gull population. They built their homes on the roofs of ours, scruffy nests of dead grass stuffed between the chimney pots, and they commuted to the beach for their daily diet of stolen fish and scavenged chips.
By early summer there were fluffy grey chicks hatching from eggs, and soon these youngsters were out and about, pattering across the rooftops. If you’re a Brit, the gull you’ll know best is the herring gull – the one that steals your chips and poops on your car when you visit the seaside.
Landfill looks at how we should admire gulls (intelligent birds that have simply adapted to modern life). Seagulls are scavenging birds, but this means it’s important to avoid littering.
