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Seagull situation downtown


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#21 Baro

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Posted 19 August 2011 - 07:48 PM

Seaguls are quite long lived, about 15-30 years and often mate for life, producing a couple chicks each year.

Stop feeding seaguls downtown, actively evict nesters, and the population will naturally fall and downtown will become a less popular habitat for them.

I've seen a quite a few homeless people and downtown regulars frequently feeding them. One day at Yates and Douglas this fellow had a huge bag of bread he probably fished out of a dumpster. In one motion he distributed the bite sized chunks of bread all over the corner and a TORNADO of gulls began to form. The intersection was so thick with circling seagulls it was interfering with traffic. It was so thick I could barely see what was on the other side of the street. A few cars got their windshields painted by the gulls, and people were running for cover. It was actually fairly entertaining...
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#22 aastra

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Posted 19 August 2011 - 08:14 PM

I blame the new condominium buildings. When you eliminate parking lots and replace them with buildings you only provide more places for gulls to perch and nest. Not to mention the new eating establishments that open to cater to the new condominium dwellers; they're just additional sources of food and garbage. It's a perfect storm. A new marina would have been the tipping point.

#23 sebberry

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Posted 19 August 2011 - 08:24 PM

I'm shocked that anyone with a progressive brain would be upset about increased density downtown, seagulls or otherwise.

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#24 Nparker

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Posted 19 August 2011 - 08:26 PM

I think aastra was speaking with tongue firmly planted in cheek.;)

#25 sebberry

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Posted 19 August 2011 - 08:28 PM

I think aastra was speaking with tongue firmly planted in cheek.;)


So was I ;)

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#26 aastra

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Posted 19 August 2011 - 08:32 PM

The city should make it law that no buildings can ever be built on the Wharf Street parking lots. We need that buffer against the scourge.

#27 Nparker

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Posted 19 August 2011 - 08:34 PM

The city should make it law that no buildings can ever be built on the Wharf Street parking lots. We need that buffer against the scourge.


I think they may have already passed this law.

#28 aastra

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Posted 19 August 2011 - 08:40 PM

Density is precisely the problem. The seagulls are too dense. Not the populations, but the individual birds themselves. As everyone knows, seagulls are a fixed size. But there's so much food for them to eat that they're becoming incredibly dense. They just keep packing it in. I'm hardly exaggerating when I compare them to feathered neutron stars. We're lucky our old buildings are so sturdy. They don't build them like they used to, that's for sure.

#29 Jason-L

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Posted 19 August 2011 - 09:15 PM

I'm kind of surprised BC Ferries hasn't blamed the drop in ridership on the seagull poop downtown.

Saw a poor tourist get splattered dead-center by a gull this evening. Poor guy was in shock.

#30 D.L.

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Posted 20 August 2011 - 09:51 AM

I don't know, doesn't this all seem very familiar? I could have sworn they were going on about the "worst poopfest ever" just a few years ago.


ya, here's my thread about this from a few years back - http://vibrantvictor...light=gull crap

#31 sebberry

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Posted 20 August 2011 - 10:12 AM

Not only is there a lot more poo this year, but I'm also noticing a lot more dust as well. I wand-washed the car yesterday and it's covered in dust already.

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#32 Sparky

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Posted 20 August 2011 - 10:37 AM



#33 Mike K.

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 10:51 AM

The seagull situation downtown is the worst I've ever seen. Every single day I see the birds literally spraying pedestrians on sidewalks and the entire commercial district is scarred with gull crap.

It's disgusting and getting smoked by the white stuff can ruin your day. So since we're thinking of a deer cull perhaps we should extend the line of thinking to controlling the bird population. All it will take is an aggressive commitment by landlords to keep the gulls from nesting on the rooftops of their buildings and within several years they'll find alternate nesting sites in the natural environment.

Perhaps that solution is simplistic, I just don't know, but surely there is something we can do about this.

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#34 jessief

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 11:12 AM

The seagull situation downtown is the worst I've ever seen. Every single day I see the birds literally spraying pedestrians on sidewalks and the entire commercial district is scarred with gull crap.

It's disgusting and getting smoked by the white stuff can ruin your day. So since we're thinking of a deer cull perhaps we should extend the line of thinking to controlling the bird population. All it will take is an aggressive commitment by landlords to keep the gulls from nesting on the rooftops of their buildings and within several years they'll find alternate nesting sites in the natural environment.

Perhaps that solution is simplistic, I just don't know, but surely there is something we can do about this.


As mentioned earlier, gulls are a protected species under the Migratory Bird Act. Which means you cannot willfully destroy them, their eggs or nests. You can install deterents or make rooftops less appealing but that is it without getting a permit.

The city is trying. They have bylaws against feeding them (not that they are followed or enforced) and the DVBA offers a grant to help offset the cost of installing deterants http://downtownvicto...deterrent-grant

#35 Mike K.

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 11:36 AM

There needs to be a bylaw created that mandates changes to rooftops to discourage gull nests and accompanying enforcement.

The birds are indeed protected but not enough is being done to keep the downtown area safe from their less pleasing activities. Perhaps what we need is a politician getting sprayed while in a three piece suit on a Monday morning.

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#36 Baro

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 11:49 AM

Why are they even protected, it's not like they're at any risk as a species?
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#37 Rob Randall

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 12:47 PM

There needs to be a bylaw created that mandates changes to rooftops to discourage gull nests and accompanying enforcement.


An unenforceable bylaw is worse than no bylaw at all. Gulls are not fussy; it's impossible to "gull proof" a roof.

Why are they even protected, it's not like they're at any risk as a species?


All gulls are migratory shore birds. It's not possible I think to differentiate nuisance "urban" gulls from the rest.

Finding a nest on a neighbouring roof is bad enough--it's worse when residents toss bread down to them.

#38 Mike K.

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 01:15 PM

It's not possible I think to differentiate nuisance "urban" gulls from the rest.

Aren't "urban" gulls the ones flying around downtown? Or are they suburban gulls who commute into downtown?

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#39 jessief

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 01:41 PM

Aren't "urban" gulls the ones flying around downtown? Or are they suburban gulls who commute into downtown?

A protected species is a protected species regardless of where they choose to breed. Either way, you would have to change the act which just won't happen anytime soon. If a species is a big enough problem you can apply for permits to remove and destroy nests. But again, the onus would be on the individual property owner/manager.

#40 SamCB

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Posted 10 July 2013 - 05:42 PM

I'm thinking any proposed bylaw that aims to limit seagull nesting atop buildings would be directly at odds with the green roof trend. There's a seagull nest outside my 6th floor office window among the hundreds of square feet of native grasses.

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