Urban Gulls with Humans

Abstract

The modification of natural habitats induced by increasing urbanization, in combination with novel biotic interactions, has favoured the colonization of urban areas by some generalist species (e.g., gulls), promoting the encounter of humans and wildlife. The availability of predictable anthropogenic food resources along with changes in their natural habitat were likely the strongest drivers of the increase of urban gull populations. Gulls have always been part of coastal landscapes, where positive relationships and cultural positive connections were common between humans and gulls. Human-gull relationships have seen recent global changes, with gulls increasingly becoming a constant part of urban landscapes, causing a variety of conflicts and negative human-gull interactions. Some direct interactions can be highly complex (e.g., humans feeding wildlife to feel more connected with nature) and challenging to change. This chapter provides an overview of the relationships between urban gulls and humans, addressing the: (1) history of the colonization of urban areas by gull populations using the examples of the British Isles and North America, (2) urban features that influence the success of urban gull populations, (3) main human-gull interactions within cities, and (4) the importance of management actions to minimize conflicts related to urban gulls.