Danger, seagulls: “I have to run if I’m carrying food.”

BarcelonaIt seems unbelievable, but it hasn't even been fifty years since seagulls arrived in Barcelona. The first pair of yellow-legged gulls—the most common species in the city today—was recorded in the Catalan capital in 1978. Since then, the population of these birds has grown exponentially. A kind of animal gentrification has caused a headache for pigeons—their preferred victims—but also for people. It's increasingly common to see them hovering around places where people are eating outdoors, and they don't hesitate to attack people to get food. Scenes of people fleeing from chasing seagulls are commonplace at the Boqueria market, in the Maremagnum district, and even on the Ciutadella campus of Pompeu Fabra University (UPF).

A brief composite of the species. Distributed throughout the Mediterranean coast, the northeastern Atlantic coast, and the central Atlantic, the yellow-legged gull originally lived tied to the sea, islands, and coastal areas. However, in recent decades, the species has shown increasing adaptation to urban habitats throughout Europe. This also applies to Barcelona, ​​where, beyond the cliffs of Montjuïc, it now nests on rooftops and rooftops throughout practically the entire city.

Researcher Joan Navarro at the Barcelona Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM) puts numbers to the feeling that they are increasingly present everywhere. He explains that while ten years ago there could have been 200 pairs of gulls throughout the city—not counting the colonies in the Zona Franca and Montjuïc—there may now be more than 300. A figure that, he points out, does not take into account the offspring each of these pairs can have. Navarro points out that the city's conditions—close to the sea—make it difficult for the species to stop breeding in Barcelona. Also, the ease of obtaining food once they have added other birds—especially pigeons and parrots—to their fish diet, as well as organic remains found in waste and even processed human foods. Navarro adds three other pieces of information to predict that growth may continue in the coming years. They begin breeding at four years old, live until eighteen or nineteen, and have no major predators in the environment.

More aggressive?

Once the mystery of whether there are more of them is resolved, the next question is: are they more aggressive? "They don't see us as predators. They lose a bit of their fear and are more trusting," Navarro concedes. He emphasizes, however, that although they can intimidate by flying very close and screaming, it's unlikely they will attack. "They know we're not predators, but that we potentially can be," he notes. This doesn't prevent their presence from becoming problematic. City Hall warns that, unlike pigeons, seagulls are aggressive in their search for food they can obtain from people, so they recommend avoiding feeding them and minimizing interactions.

This aggressiveness can be seen in Plaça de la Gardunya, behind the Boqueria market. The abundance of tourists enjoying takeout food they've taken from the market turns this corner of the Raval district into one of the seagulls' favorite haunts. It's easy to see many middays when tourists are snatched food. Similar scenes can be seen on the terraces of restaurants near Plaça Catalunya, but also in other open spaces in the city. For example, at the entrance to the UPF campus in Ciutadella, there are even signs warning of the danger of attacks by seagulls seeking food.

Several university workers and students told ARA similar experiences. "Every day I have to run if I don't want them to steal my sandwich," explains one student. "They stand right in front of you, open their wings, and roar to make you drop the food. Sometimes they even land on your head," describes a colleague. University workers explain that the first attack was in 2017, but that they have increased since the pandemic. In some cases, they have had to treat students injured with scratches. "If they make a nest, you've drunk oil," admits a university maintenance manager, who explains that for years his duties have also included constantly monitoring that this doesn't happen.

The critical breeding season

However, it's difficult to remedy. Municipal sources claim that seagull-related incidents have recently reached around 300 per year. To try to minimize them, the Yellow-legged Gull Surveillance Program on Public Streets, implemented by the Urban Pest Surveillance and Control Service (SVIPLA) of the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB), includes recommendations for preventative measures—such as not feeding the birds—but also specific active control measures—such as removing nests or nests.

ASPB sources emphasize that incidents are mainly concentrated between April and July, which is the seagulls' breeding season. "They are aggressive if they have the nest and you try to get close," Navarro points out. This causes conflicts on some rooftops, where people who go out to hang out washing sometimes encounter aggressive behavior from the birds. The same is true of the Montjuïc cemetery, a common breeding ground for these birds. Visitors there have long been advised to carry umbrellas to avoid attacks if they must approach the niches closest to the cliffs.