The Seagull is a bird that we all love to see (pardon the pun) but sometimes not hear. We admit that no coastal area would be the same without them, but at times they can be a nuisance. You only need to have eaten at a seaside restaurant to know that they are very assertive when looking for food.
In the domestic situation, seaboard apartment blocks are often affected due to the fact that the birds will try to nest on open roof areas, especially where there are recesses or air-conditioning plant to provide warmth and shelter. When this occurs, flocks of birds infest the space and leave behind decaying food as well as droppings. These. along with nesting materials and occasionally some young that perish in the process, will frequently cause serious blockages in rainwater drains, which in turn can cause major internal problems.
During the nesting season, they become very aggressive and noisy, often causing disturbance well into the early hours of the morning, not to mention causing severe soiling because of their droppings.
In the Cape region, the most common gull we find is the Hartlaub's Gull, and whilst we may feel that there are far too many around, please bear in mind that almost 95% of the world's population is found here, which is one of the reasons that they are protected by the Department of coastal Management. If one wishes to undertake measures to eradicate the problem, it must be borne in mind that doing so during breeding seasons can expose one to severe penalties if the correct procedure is not followed.
It is imperative that, when there are eggs or young birds that are to be removed, a permit is acquired and that SANCCOB is engaged to take them to a place of saftey for hand-rearing. After this is done, one may implement procedures to deter the adult birds from returning to the area. As part of our service, we offer to assist in obtaining the permit, and then to transport any eggs or young in insulated containers to SANCCOB.
Obviously many businesses, especially in food processing, are attractive to seagulls because of the fact that they can obtain necessary items for their diet. As we all know, this is absolutely forbidden in food processing areas.
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