Managing Gull Numbers: History and Challenges

American herring gulls (Larus smithsoniansus; hereafter herring gulls) are widely distributed, common seabirds with generalist diets. As is the case for many large gull species, herring gulls exploit human-altered landscapes for feeding and breeding, and these synanthropic birds can create a suite of human–bird conflict situations, ranging from mild annoyances (e.g., faeces on vehicles) to major risks (e.g., striking aircraft). At Brier Island, Nova Scotia, a large colony of nesting gulls uses a diversity of human and natural foraging areas and foods during the breeding season. Some gulls nest in proximity to the globally rare eastern mountain avens (Geum peckii), and there are concerns that altered soil chemistry through nutrient additions from avian faeces, or physical alterations to soil and plants from nesting gulls, may deleteriously affect this plant. In this chapter we summarize some of the issues around managing gulls, and describe some of the initial, largely unsuccessful efforts to manage them at Brier Island.