HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem IX - Downtown Seagull Mitigation UpdateUSDA
United States Department of Agriculture
United States July 24, 2020
Department of
Agriculture Megan Lang, Chair
Oshkosh Business Improvement District
Marketing and Regulatory 601 Oregon Street, Suite B
Programs Oshkosh, WI 54902
1201 Storbeck Re: City of Oshkosh Gull Management Activities — 2020
Drive
Waupun, WI Ms. Lang:
53963
Included is a summary of our gull management activities for the City of Oshkosh
Business Improvement District (BID) from April through June 2020. Herring gulls
(Lanus aregentatus) have nested on top of buildings in the downtown area of Oshkosh,
WI for a number of years. The population has steadily increased over the years and are
responsible for many complaints from the public and businesses in the downtown area.
Gulls can become aggressive during the nesting season and attack people by striking
them in the head. In some cases, gulls can strike hard enough to require medical
treatment. Additionally, gulls defecate on structures, equipment, vehicles, and people on
the streets below the buildings. Their feces can be highly acidic and can shorten the life
of rooftops and the equipment on the roof. Their nesting material, food scraps, and feces
can clog roof drains causing water to accumulate and not drain properly. The City of
Oshkosh and the BID wanted to address these damages through a gull nest/egg oiling
program to reduce the aggressiveness of the gulls and reduce recruitment to the local gull
population. The long term goal is to reduce the number of gulls nesting on buildings in
the City of Oshkosh BID.
Gull management activities were conducted under the authority of a Federal Depredation
Permit (MB75516D-0) issued by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the City of
Oshkosh BID. Gull management efforts occurred on May 13, June 1, 18, and July 2.
Gull eggs were destroyed during the first visit to all buildings to synchronize egg
development. A total of 89 nests with 203 eggs were destroyed and 17 gull chicks were
humanely euthanized during this first visit (Table 1). During subsequent visits, gull eggs
were oiled to prevent hatching. A total of 89 nests with 214 eggs were oiled and 9 chicks
were humanely euthanized during the second visit. During the third visit, WS oiled 85
nests with 205 eggs and humanely euthanized 3 gull chicks. Normally this would have
concluded our gull nest management efforts, however, the 200 Block of West Main Street
nest numbers increased on the third visit from previous visits. Therefore, one additional
oiling visit was conducted for the 200 Block of West Main Street only. During that visit,
a total of 31 nests and 57 eggs were oiled and 2 gull chicks were humanely euthanized.
WS will assist the BID with reporting gull management take on their Federal Depredation
Permit renewal paperwork. Numbers reported taken under your permit will only include
nest/eggs destroyed, peak number of nests/eggs oiled (not total number oiled), and
number of gulls (chicks) removed (Table 1).
Within the BID (Figure 1), the 200 block (Main and State Streets and BMO Harris Bank)
accounted for approximately 80% of all nests (Table 1). As the distance from the Fox
River increased, the presence of gulls seemed to significantly decline based on nests and
observations. The properties from the Fox River north to Washington Avenue/Algoma
Blvd. accounted for all but 2 Herring gull nests.
Table 1. Number of Herring gull nests and eggs destroyed and peak number of Herring
gull nest and eggs oiled and chicks removed by USDA, APHIS, Wildlife Services in
Oshkosh, Wf from May — July 2020.
Location
Total Destroyed
Nests Eggs
Peak Oiled
Nests Eggs
Chicks
Hotel/Convention Center
9
25
9
25
0
200 Block State Street
4
7
0
0
1
200 Block East Main Street
17
45
18
43
0
300 Block State Street
1
3
1
2
0
300 Block East Main Street
7
14
6
15
5
400 Block East Main Street
0
0
0
0
0
500 Block East Main Street
1
3
1
2
0
500 Block West Main Street
0
0
0
0
0
400 Block West Main Sheet
1
3
1
3
0
Division Street Block
0
0
0
0
0
Algoma/Market Street Block
1
3
1
3
0
High/Market Street Block
0
0
0
0
0
BMO Harris Bank
5
12
5
14
0
200 Block West Main Street
46
93
51
118
25
Total
89
203
93
225
31
WS recommends to the City of Oshkosh BID to continue to conduct gull management in
2021 at all locations within the BID where gulls are nesting. To improve the
effectiveness of this effort it would be advantageous to access sites which would not
allow access in 2020 (e.g., U.S. Bank building). Unnecessary equipment and debris on
rooftops add to the attractiveness to gulls and should be removed, if possible. This is
especially applicable for the 200 West Main Street rooftop. Several structures are present
which promote gull nesting and, if removed, will reduce the habitat that supports these
nests.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have or if you are interested in
having WS provide additional assistance to the City of Oshkosh BID.
Sincerely,
Charles D. Lovell
District Supervisor/Certified Wildlife Biologist
An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer