Five fast facts about pesky seagulls
Seagulls are a common sight near waterways here and afar, living on every continent on Earth. We often see these birds soaring overhead, often in flocks, and their familiar call can quickly alert us to their presence.
Because they are common and familiar, we often don't give them much thought — unless they are encroaching on our space, something they are known to do from time to time. However, these intelligent and adaptable birds thrive while living alongside humans, and like all species, they are a key part of the ecosystems in which they live.
There's a lot of them
A seagull is not a specific species of bird. Instead, it's a collect-all term used for many different gull species that belong to the Laridae family of birds, which also includes terns. The birds that are collectively referred to as seagulls include more than 40 different species in all, according to SeaWorld.
Because there are so many different species in the seagull family of birds, it can be hard to define them. Many of the birds we are most familiar with here in Will County are predominantly white or light gray with accents of dark gray, black and more, but not all are. Some are black or gray with lighter colored accents. Generally, though, seagulls are stocky birds with long wings, hooked bills and webbed feet, Sea World reports.
Illinois is home to 13 gull species, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. The most commonly seen gulls in Illinois are the herring gull and ring-billed gull. They are the birds most people think of when they think of seagulls. Other gull species found in the state include the Bonaparte's gull, California gull, Franklin's gull, laughing gull and black-legged kittiwake, although some of the species are not common or have only small habitat areas in the state.
They are true scavengers
Think about where you usually see seagulls. Aside from lakes and other waterways, parking lots probably come to mind. Who hasn't seen a seagull circling over a Walmart or McDonald's parking lot? When you consider that these birds are scavengers, this makes sense because those vast expanses of asphalt are a good place to find left-behind food and even garbage.
Birds that are scavengers eat refuse or carrion. In the case of gulls, refuse is a common food source, and that includes food scraps left behind by us. Besides french fries, sandwiches and other crumbs, seagulls also eat a lot of small fish as well as crustaceans, mollusks and insects, Mass Audubon reports. Because they can eat just about anything, they will also graze in recently plowed fields and hang around seafood processing areas to feast on scraps.
They are water lovers
Although we often see these birds doing the bird version of dumpster diving over land, they are at home on the water. Locally that means around lakes and rivers, but you'll also see them in large numbers along our country's coastlines. They don't call them seagulls for nothing, after all.
While seagulls are primarily water birds and often hunt for food in the water, they typically don't stray too far from land, according to SeaWorld. A few species, including kittiwakes, will go far out over lakes and oceans, but most will stay within sight of land. Similarly, a few species will travel far inland to scavenge for food, but most stay close to water.
They nest on the ground
Like many other birds we commonly see around water, seagulls are ground nesters. Our most common local species, the ring-billed gull and the herring gull, both create nests in shallow depressions they form in the ground, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology reports. Ring-billed gulls will nest on sandy, rocky or soil surfaces near freshwater, and they often look for spots that are obscured by vegetation. Herring gulls will usually form their nests in soft soil or sand, often next to rocks and logs to protect them from winds.
The males and females of both species contribute to building the nest. Ring-billed gulls typically lay two to four eggs, while herring gulls will lay one to three. The eggs hatch after about a month of incubation. Within a few hours or days of hatching the young birds are able to move about, but they will stay around the nest for awhile longer before they are able to take care of themselves.
They can be pesky
Gulls do important ecosystem work by cleaning up the environment of waste, but as anyone who has lost a sandwich or a French fry to one can attest, they can be a little aggressive toward humans when they are scavenging for food. They can also pose problems because they often gather in large numbers around waterways, creating an unsightly and unsanitary mess with their waste.
The best way to avoid seagulls from becoming a bother is not to invite them by providing easy access to food waste. That means securing lids on garbage cans and keeping waste under wraps. In large public spaces where the gulls have become a nuisance, officials have had success using sheepdogs and raptors to scare off the gulls, National Geographic reports. The birds aren't harmed this way, but they relocate to avoid the perceived threats.
If seagulls are causing problems around your home, there a few tricks you might try to keep them at bay. First, they seem not to like owls, hawks and coyotes, so adding decoys around your property might help, National Geographic reports. Other ideas include adding shiny tape or mirrored objects around your yard because birds don't like reflective surfaces. You can also add spinners like pinwheels and objects that bounce in the wind. If they are perching on your roof, try strategically placed spikes so they have nowhere to perch.
