Over the summer, a heat wave in Canada led to troubling behavior in baby gulls, leading wildlife organizations to urge residents to be on the lookout for the young birds.
What's happening?
In July, CTV News reported that the 21-municipality Metro Vancouver in British Columbia was experiencing an uptick in reports of injured or orphaned baby gulls that had jumped from scorching rooftops amid a heatwave in the area.
Jackie McQuillan, who works with the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC, explained in a statement that seagulls often nest high on roofs to protect their young from predators. However, the record-setting heat, per the Vancouver Sun, presented a separate issue, as conventional rooftops can quickly reach deadly temperatures in the day.
"Gull chicks will prematurely jump from their rooftop nest or can burn the bottoms of their feet or suffer hyperthermia," McQuillan said, per CTV News.
Why is this important?
Supporting and protecting wildlife is a crucial part of keeping ecosystems healthy. As NBC Environment explains, seagulls traditionally nest on cliffs or sand dunes, and their decision to protect their young by nesting on roofs is part of their adaptability in urban environments.
Specialized roofs that reflect heat feel cooler (and lower electric bills to boot), but conventional roofs can reach up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit on sunny days, per the U.S. Department of Energy. As global temperatures rise, baby seagulls may become even more vulnerable — and heat is widely documented as the No. 1 weather-related killer among humans.
Metro Vancouver wasn't the only region with dangerous temperatures over the summer. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the three-month stretch of June-August was the hottest meteorological summer in the Northern Hemisphere over 175 years of record keeping. It was more of the same in the Southern Hemisphere, which had its warmest winter.
What can be done to support baby gulls?
McQuillan explained in the statement published by CTV News that the best way to support injured or orphaned gulls is to give them space and call in professionals from organizations such as the Wildlife Rescue Association, whose website has a form to report wildlife emergencies. The birds are federally protected in Canada, and it is illegal to interfere with nests or chicks.
"It's very important to limit interactions with young gulls because they are highly susceptible to becoming habituated to people," McQuillan said. "Keeping your distance and refraining from feeding is key to helping these birds stay safe in the wild."
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In the long term, taking action to reduce pollution from dirty fuels will help bring the planet's climate back into balance, which will be good for the gulls and people — who both suffer during more intense extreme weather events associated with warming temperatures.
Washing your clothes with cold water and using LED light bulbs in your home are two easy ways to not only knock down your utility bills but also contribute to a cooler future.
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