Quantifying the impacts of urban human-wildlife conflicts - how can we solve the urban gull problem in St Andrews?

Abstract

Interactions between urban wildlife and people are increasing globally. Some of these interactions can be negative and lead to human-wildlife conflicts. In St Andrews, Scotland, residents and business owners have come into conflict with herring gulls (Larus argentatus) and lesser black-backed gulls (Larus fuscus) that nest and forage in the town. This study quantified the number, species and distribution of nesting gulls; the vulnerability of different sources of rubbish to attack; and the likelihood of negative human-gull interactions related to food. Surveys were conducted in St Andrews during the 2016 breeding season (May-July). Nesting gull density and distribution were estimated during weekly street surveys of buildings; vantage surveys were conducted for some buildings and a correction factor estimating a minimum number of nesting gulls was produced. 110 nesting gull pairs were estimated and these occupied ~10% of buildings. The vulnerability of waste sources to attack was monitored during transects recording whether or not rubbish sources were attacked. Black bin bags had the highest probability of being attacked, but placing these in secured hessian bags prevented this. The frequency of negative human-gull interactions involving food at street-level was determined during 10-minute timed watches at various locations. Incidences of gulls taking food were rare; only eight were seen in 30 hours of watches. Altering human behaviour (for example, disposing of waste securely) will mitigate potential issues with urban wildlife. Findings from this study will enable effective management of human-gull conflicts in St Andrews and have potential applications in other urban communities.