Herring Gull

What herring gulls look like

The herring gull is a large, heavy bodied gull of roughly 45 cm to 65 cm in length with a wingspan well over a metre. The adult has a white head and underparts, a light grey back and upper wings, and black wingtips marked with white spots. The bill is thick and yellow with a red spot near the tip of the lower mandible, and the eye is pale with a yellow ring. The legs are pink. Young birds look completely different: mottled brown all over, with a dark bill, and they take about four years to reach adult plumage. The call is the loud wailing cry people associate with waterfronts. They soar, scavenge and nest on flat open surfaces.

Signs you have gulls

• Birds standing on the roof. Adults holding position on a flat roof, parapet or mechanical unit through the day, often in the same spot.
• Noise. Loud repeated calling early in the morning, and constant calling once chicks have hatched.
• Nests on flat surfaces. Shallow scrapes lined with grass, feathers and debris on gravel roofs, between HVAC units and behind parapet walls.
• Large droppings. Heavy white splashes on roofing, vehicles, skylights, walkways and outdoor seating.
• Diving and swooping. Adults dropping low toward people who approach a roof access or a particular corner during the nesting season.
• Scattered waste. Torn refuse bags, food wrappers and scraps pulled from bins and left across a loading area or car park.

Once a roof is used successfully, gulls return to it in following seasons.

Why gulls show up around Ottawa and Toronto properties

Herring gulls nest naturally on open ground and rocky islands, and a flat commercial roof imitates that habitat closely: open, level, protected from ground predators and often covered in gravel. Both regions sit near large water. Toronto is on Lake Ontario, Hamilton has the harbour and Ottawa has the river system, so gulls are common throughout. Food keeps them in built up areas year round. Open waste bins, dumpsters, food courts, patios, landfills, transfer stations, drive through lanes and deliberate feeding in parks all supply easy meals. Gulls are intelligent and quick to learn, so a site that once provided food or a successful nest stays on their route. Schools, malls, warehouses and apartment buildings with flat roofs see the most activity.

Are gulls dangerous?

Gulls do not usually hurt anyone, but they can be intimidating while protecting a nest. Adults with chicks will call, swoop and dive at people who come near, which is a genuine concern around roof access points, patios and walkways. The everyday problems are property related. Droppings are corrosive and damage roof membranes, paint and metal, and they make surfaces slippery. Nest material, feathers and debris block roof drains and scuppers, which leads to ponding and leaks. Torn refuse creates litter and attracts other pests, and scavenging birds around outdoor eating areas are a hygiene concern. Accumulated droppings should be cleaned with proper protection rather than swept dry. Gulls are native birds and are protected in Canada, so the work focuses on prevention and deterrence.

How to keep gulls away

• Stop all feeding, including at patios and in car parks, and post signs where the public gathers.
• Use bins with closing lids, keep dumpster covers shut and clear food waste from outdoor seating promptly.
• Install deterrents on roofs and ledges before the nesting season starts, such as wire systems, netting or post and line arrangements suited to the surface.
• Keep roofs clear of debris, pooled water and gravel piles that make a nest site attractive.
• Block sheltered corners behind parapets and mechanical units where a pair can settle out of the wind.
• Inspect the roof each spring and act early, because deterrence is far simpler before eggs are laid.

Timing matters more with gulls than with almost any other bird.

How GO! Pest Control handles gulls

• Inspection. We survey roofs, parapets, mechanical areas and waste handling points to identify nesting and loafing areas and what is drawing the birds in.
• Deterrents. We recommend and install humane deterrent and exclusion systems matched to the roof, including wire, netting and post and line systems.
• Removal. We clean droppings and clear debris from roofs and drains, and any work involving nests or eggs of a protected species is carried out within the applicable federal and provincial rules, with permits where these are required.
• Follow-up. We monitor through the season and adjust coverage, since gulls will try an untreated corner of the same roof.
• Advice. We set out waste management and roof maintenance changes that make the site less attractive year to year.

We are licensed, insured and bonded, and we work in homes, apartments, condos and businesses across the Toronto GTA, Ottawa and Hamilton.

Common questions about gulls