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by Julie Thomas-Zucker

Created on: February 12, 2011

People who look to control wildlife need to learn the facts about the seagull to understand how valuable they are to our world. Migration is not something that people can control. Researchers have tried and failed in all the attempts to stop the migration of some birds. But birds have migrated for centuries because of instinct not regulation. If one tries to control seagulls or any migration, new generations will most likely return to the area.

Migrations allow other species to use the space previously occupied by seagulls and allow for their food supply in the particular area to recover adequately. Migration happens when the seagulls deplete the food supply. Insect hibernation also signals for the birds to move to another area where they can more easily find food. They breed in these areas where their young can more easily find food.

Seagulls perform a valuable service – cleaning up the beaches of dead things especially fish and crabs. They are scavengers and some people call them “nature’s garbage men”.

Those wanting to control migrating seagulls should ask, ‘how can we control the development of more houses that society can’t afford to buy especially along flyways and in wetlands?’ The reason why a problem exists with seagulls is because we have taken over much of their land and/or killed many in the up surd name of “growth.”

Instead of trying to control wildlife, we should learn from them and use only the land we need instead of building bigger houses, more shopping malls, excluding wildlife and blocking them from their natural movements. The birds return year after year to the same grounds to breed and clean up the area. Then they move back to their other off-season home.

Killing seagulls just because they live in the same place we live, is not a good enough reason for wanting to control the birds. When we destroy or alter one species, scientists know, we destroy and alter others. For instance, a food in a shore area, such as fish, would greatly change the ocean environment should the seagulls suddenly disappear. Seagulls eat not only the fish that inhabit the water but also the insects in the air. Too many fish will cause the vegetation in the area to overpopulate causes problems like poisonous algae to appear creating more problems for fisherman and nature enthusiasts.  

Organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation and Nature Conservancy have made acts and laws protecting the birds that migrate.

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