STANLEY PARK NOTEBOOK
/Gulls are attentive parents and mate for life.
THE MUCH-MALIGNED SEAGULL
by Jacqui Birchall
Glaucous-winged gulls are the gulls we see all over our neighborhood. They tend to be maligned, complaints are made about their calls, they are very unappreciated.
In fact, they are very interesting birds.
Glaucous-winged gulls can be found from Alaska to Washington to far-east Russia where they breed in the summer months.
In winter they can be found in Oregon, California and Baja California, Sonora, and right here in Vancouver
These gulls like to nest on flat roofs of high buildings, bridges, and small treeless islands near the mainland. A pair of glaucous-winged gulls will hatch two or three chicks that fledge in 6 weeks. They live on average about 15 years, foraging along marine shores, river mouths, bays and estuaries, and of course, landfills.
Glaucous-winged gulls have definable personalities, mate for life, and defend their nesting areas from all comers. Great parents, they will be attentive to their offspring for up to two years, Very clean birds, they preen and preen. Their winter plumage is beautiful. A dirty gull is a gull in trouble.
One can observe these gulls eating sea stars, but the sea stars are not a high source of fat and protein. Usually, the gulls eat the sea stars because the fish they love are in short supply. Watching a gull swallow a sea star is uncomfortable. I often feel the gull will choke as they slowly swallow them whole.
A seagull colony on the Stanley Park Seawall just east of Lion’s Gate Bridge is very interesting. The birds feed from the shallow waters from the seawall to West Vancouver. This body of water has long shallow areas with a lot of food for the gulls near the surface. Changes in tides in winter, when low tides occur at night, makes it hard for the gulls to find food.
It doesn’t seem possible, but this gull will swallow the sea star whole.
Another problem for the gulls is that the Salish Sea does not have many fish now.
Some building managers will kill baby gulls, removing nests from rooftops, with no thought for the parents and babies.
Government policies regarding wildlife are not good. Wildlife here is treated like a resource, not as living beings. We have a fantastic eco-system in our city and we need to actively engage with all species.
Dr. Ed Kroc from UBC works with ecologists and biologists. His very interesting research on glaucous-winged gulls is available here and here.
Dr. Kroc doubts reports of gull attacks on Granville Island. He asserts the gulls are conscious entities with feelings and desires.
Perhaps we can persuade our building managers that removing baby seagulls from rooftops is cruel. The babies are soon hatched and on their way. The roof is free again!
There is, after all, room for all species in the West End.
TAKING A BREAK
I will be traveling in sunnier climes for a while. I will miss beautiful Stanley Park but I'll be back, just like the humpbacks, the swallows, and the hummingbirds. In the meantime, Nate Lewis will be taking over here at the Stanley Park Notebook. See you all in the spring!
