Table of Contents 1.

Over the past few weeks, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of gulls flying over and calling as they pass over my home. It is noticeable because, like most people who live nowhere near the coast, the first call of a gull takes us back to visits to the sea. So it was interesting to read a press release circulated by the British Trust for Ornithology in which they ask Birdwatchers across the UK “to get out and count gulls this autumn” The BTO describe these birds as “characterful” and “sometimes controversial”, but despite their reputation for stealing chips these birds are, like so many others, in serious trouble.

Researchers from BTO are trying to understand the causes of population decline in the number of breeding gulls while monitoring gulls that visit the UK from further afield. As we have often seen, in autumn and winter, gulls flock together to roost communally on lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries. These groups can number many hundreds or even thousands of individual gulls. So, understanding where these roosts occur and the number of birds using them is key to helping conservation organisations protect these familiar and iconic birds.

The Winter Gull Survey (WinGS) could be for anyone interested in helping out with this research. This long-running monitoring programme first took place in 1953, with the aim of providing robust information on the numbers and distribution of wintering gulls, many of which appear on either the Birds of Conservation Concern Red or Amber List.

For the first time, the BTO is asking volunteers to count gulls in the autumn, as information on the whereabouts of gulls following the breeding season is currently somewhat limited. The BTO points out that some species will group in large concentrations in the autumn months before dispersing to their wintering areas. The Trust is asking birdwatchers across the UK to help identify the locations of autumn numbers to determine just how many gulls are taking advantage of each designated site.

Along with the gulls that breed here in the summertime and pass through in the autumn, thousands more head to the relatively mild UK in the winter months to escape the freezing conditions further north. BTO is trying to understand where the main areas of gull activity currently are and identify those places where these seabirds now occur in much-reduced numbers.

The BTO say that the WinGS covers survey sites in the UK, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, and BTO is seeking more volunteers to help gather data. The volunteers will visit established roost sites used by migrating and wintering gulls, as well as random sites across inland and coastal locations. Volunteers will count all gull species present but with a particular focus on six key species: Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Mediterranean Gull, and Great Black-backed Gull.

The volunteer birdwatchers should feel confident that they can:

  • Count large numbers of birds accurately in the late afternoon as the light fades.
  • Identify the six most abundant UK gull species: Black-headed Gull, Common Gull, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Herring Gull, Mediterranean Gull, and Great Black-backed Gull.

Potential volunteers can find out more about the survey, the availability of survey sites near them, and how to sign up by visiting the project webpage.

Emma Caulfield, the Survey Organiser for WinGS, said, “Information collected in these surveys will continue to fill the gaps in our knowledge. This is particularly important as declines are continuing to be seen in our breeding gulls, as well as those heading here for the winter months. These familiar seabirds have also been impacted by the ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), and we are still seeking to understand what the short, and long-term implications of this may be.”

Dawn Balmer, BTO Head of Surveys, said, “Many of our gull species are experiencing significant declines in their breeding populations, hence their conservation status, and we urgently need to improve our understanding of where, and in what numbers, they gather in the autumn and winter.”

Despite gulls not having the best reputation for some, the need to find out what is behind the decline in numbers is nonetheless important. So, if you want to find out more about the WinGS visit: www.bto.org/wings

© Phil Pickin