Pest Management Professional, October 2013
technicalities BIRDS T he seagull has long been associated with maritime wisdom and lore But nowadays its becoming a pest While its technically not classified as a pest bird and thus enjoys protection under the law this bird can cause a huge mess and more than a few problems For example its estimated the seagull is responsible for as many as 50 percent of bird related aircraft strike incidences Because of its common name one would think this bird is associated only with the sea That might have been true at one time but these days seagulls can be found in many inland areas such as the Great Salt Lake in Utah and around the Great Lakes in the Northern U S Seagulls belong to the order Charadriiformes and the family Laridae There are more than 20 species identified in the U S Of these there are four species clients commonly ask pest management professionals to deal with great black backed gull Larus marinus European Herring gull L argentatus laughing gull L atriculla ring billed gull L delawarensis The seagull is not technically classified as a pest bird under the law These species which share much in common in terms of biology produce one clutch of eggs per year which contains two to four eggs The incubation time required for these is similar as well about 21 to 28 days on average In all four of these species the immature birds are able to feed themselves soon after birth The adult pairs are monogamous normally staying together as a couple until death In all species the adult birds share nest duty male and female will tend the eggs and take turns sitting on them On average seagulls are large birds measuring 11 in to 30 in long Weighing 4 oz to 4 lbs most construct their nest on the ground but theyll take over rooftops or ledges in urban areas Insects small vertebrates and small aquatic animals such as fish garbage and carrion are the primary food for these birds Gulls also will eat the eggs and young of other birds within their desired range These birds which are protected by one or more federal laws can be found in areas such as landfills which allow them to translocate bacteria to other areas Check with local state authorities before making any control efforts PMP You can reach Meek international technical and training director for Orkin at fmeek@ rollins com Frank Meek t Contributor In all species the adult birds share a nest the male and female will tend the eggs and takes turns sitting on them See Gulls Seagulls arent always found near the sea as their name suggests 112 October 2013 Pest Management Professional www mypmp net
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