The Efficiency of an Integrated Program Using Falconry to Deter Gulls from Landfills

Area of Science:

• Wildlife Management
• Avian Ecology
• Conservation Biology

Background:

• Landfills attract gulls, necessitating effective and acceptable deterrence strategies.
• Ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis) pose management challenges near urban environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an integrated program using trained birds of prey, pyrotechnics, and distress calls to deter gulls from a landfill.
• To compare the effectiveness of this program with a culling strategy at another landfill.

Main Methods:

• Long-term survey data, behavioral observations, and GPS tracking of gulls were employed.
• An integrated falconry program was implemented at one landfill, while another site used limited culling.

Main Results:

• The integrated falconry program achieved a 98% reduction in daily gull numbers at the landfill.
• Fewer gulls fed at the falconry site (0.4%) compared to the culling site (13%).
• Gull stopovers were significantly shorter at the falconry site (22 min) versus the culling site (63 min).

Conclusions:

• Integrated falconry programs are highly effective in reducing gull numbers at landfills.
• This approach is a socially acceptable alternative to selective culling for wildlife management.