Seagulls Nesting On Roof Uk

May to july is prime gull nesting season and during this period they can be quite noisy which is an understandable annoyance if they ve chosen a roof near you.

Seagulls nesting on roof uk.

Manmade structures such as our homes are a perfect nesting place for birds. Rooftops are an ideal replacement to replace their natural nesting habitat and urban areas often inadvertently provide a regular food source. But keep in mind that this period is. Urban gulls can be a particular nuisance or threat during this time.

The uk s herring gulls and lesser black backed gulls tend to be those which nest on roofs. Other species of gulls like kittiwakes tend to be ledge nesters. Check your roof regularly and remove any nests or debris that is building up. Once a gull has nested they will return each year to the same area unless they are prevented access.

Whilst the gulls which nest on buildings are usually herring gulls there are several other gull species which occasionally nest on buildings. So you can get nests cropping up in all. Even the occasional seagull can cause a nuisance on a flat roof with their loud webbed feet but regardless of species. Birds nesting in the roof is a common issue affecting houses and commercial properties across the uk.

All birds their nest and eggs are protected by the wildlife countryside act 1981 and it is thus an offence to damage or destroy an active nest or prevent parent birds access to their nests. Having birds perching and nesting on your roof can create a myriad of problems from the aforementioned noise to the mess that they cause by carrying debris and nesting through to the inevitable droppings that they leave behind. Lesser black backed gulls may also nest on roofs in the. But now birds have a new place to nest and that is within the buildings we create.

The lesser black backed gull population has also declined in recent years. Although this can be a pesky problem for owners and tenants the decline in natural nesting sites has meant that roofs have become a safe retreat for species of conservation concern. In the case of birds such as the barn owl that are listed on schedule 1 of the act it is an offence even to disturb the birds when at or near the nest. Although numbers of roof nesting gulls especially lesser black backed gulls are still increasing the overall population of herring gulls is plummeting making them a red list species.