The Colonization of the Western Yellow-Legged Gull (Larus michahellis) in an Italian City: Evolution and Management of the Phenomenon

Abstract

The phenomenon of gull urbanization affects several species of Laridae and many cities around the world. In European cities, there are several species that have colonized urban areas. The yellow-legged gull Larus michahellis and the herring gull L. argentatus, however, are species that have been more successful in this process. The phenomenon, which started in the early twentieth century, has grown rapidly and gull urban populations have now reached high numbers and densities. This is to the point that it not only represents an interesting ecological phenomenon to study but a management problem for municipal administrations. Gulls represent a discomfort to city dwellers, especially during their breeding season. In Italy, the phenomenon has been monitored for some years, giving way to interesting studies in Trieste (north-east) of population control methods. To inform municipal administrators and the public about the biology of the species, their urban colonization phenomenon, and subsequent strategies for the prevention of this phenomenon, a consortium of stakeholders that included municipalities and ornithologists, joined to create a technical informative document.