Successful Control of Gulls and other Birds at a Sanitary Landfill,

Under some circumstances, it may be desirable to prevent gulls and other birds from concentrating at landfills and thereby reduce the risk of bird-aircraft collisions or other potential impacts on adjacent property. Between 17 September 1978 and 7 March 1980, data were collected on the occurrence of Ring-billed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Turkey Vultures, American Crow and European Starlings at a Maryland land fill. Control procedures involving pyrotechnics were implemented on 6 January 1979. The effectiveness of control procedures on the various species is discussed. The results demonstrate that gulls can be prevented from concentrating at a landfill as can the other species but persistence and dedication on the part of bird control personnel are required in order to succeed.