Gull-y! It's seagulls versus falcons in Thunder Bay downtown
Waterfront District Business Improvement Association looks for ways to control nuisance gulls
Thunder Bay's Waterfront District Business Improvement Association is calling in the big guns, or in this case, the big beaks.
The association is hiring a falconer to scare away nuisance seagulls in the downtown north core.
Vice-chair Jim Comuzzi said the gulls are flying in from Lake Superior, and nesting on flat-topped roofs.
He said the birds become territorial and aggressive when protecting their young.
"If you're walking down the streets of Thunder Bay, every once in awhile, on a beautiful spring or summer day, you get close to a nest and they attack. They are not a kind bird. They attack people, pigeons, crows, you name it," said Comuzzi.
He said he knows of several cases where the gulls have caused injuries, including one instance where someone suffered cuts to the head.
"The person had to go to the hospital and get stitches for wounds. One guy came in, and thank God he had glasses on, because the bird actually poked his glasses, " said Comuzzi.
Comuzzi said the constant presence of the gulls is hampering the association's efforts to clean up the neighbourhood.
"The droppings that are left, the feathers that are strewn down our streets and you know topple our awnings, and really ruin the landscape of the downtown area, or disrupt it for sure. Part of our mandate on the BIA is definitely beautification, and we're having a tough time with that," said Comuzzi.
He said because the gulls are protected by the Migratory Birds Convention Act, their nests can only be destroyed when there are no eggs in them. Once a clutch has been laid, the nests cannot be disturbed.
Comuzzi said the association is hiring Skyline Falconry of Thunder Bay. Kym Amonson and her 3-year old hawk, Chinook, were previously contracted by the city to stop a variety of birds from nesting in Chippewa Park.
He added that the BIA hopes the falconer can complete an assessment of the gulls' preferred nesting areas, and provide some solutions that could be implemented next spring.