Upper Rock Nature Reserve: A Management and Action Plan

15.3 Discussion
15.4 Recommendations
References
Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society - GONHS
The Yellow-legged Gull
It is gratifying to see that the Gibraltar Government has had the confidence to confer the
responsibility of the management of the yellow-legged gull population to GONHS. In the
past, culling was launched primarily to safeguard the aircraft landing at RAF Gibraltar. This
did not stem the huge increase in the population, which was due in part to the expansion of
the human population in the region. This resulted in several rubbish tips that were targeted
as a food source by the gulls. However, the Los Barrios tip may soon close, and this could
have a serious and welcome impact on the gull population in Gibraltar. This factor may contribute
to the eventual decrease in numbers, but the authorities must not be complacent. The
problem needs continual control and systematic culling if these numbers are to be maintained
at an adequate level that will ensure the impact to the general public is kept at a minimum.
1) There is a need to reconfigure and analyse the gull cull strategy of the last decade in
order to prepare the ground for the next ten years. This analysis has been partly done in the
paper by Cortes et al. (2004) ‘The Control of the Yellow-legged Gull in Gibraltar’, which deals
with the matter more thoroughly than the overview that this chapter provides.
2) Prepare a gull control management programme based on the research and experience
gained over the last few years. This plan to collaborate with the general management plan
for the Upper Rock Nature Reserve, since a large proportion of Gibraltar’s gull population
breeds in or around the Nature Reserve.
yellow-legged gulls
• Cortes, J. C., Finlayson, J. C., Mosquera, M. A., Garcia, E. F. J., (1980) The Birds of Gibraltar. Gibraltar. Gibraltar Bookshop.
• Cortes, J. C., Shaw, E., Blair, M., Candelin, G., (2003) The control of the Yellow-legged Gull, Larus michahellis, in Gibraltar. Almoraima, in press.
• Finlayson, J. C. (1992) Birds of the Strait of Gibraltar. London: T. &A. D. Poyser Ltd.
• GOS (1980) Report on Herring Gull Cull at Gibraltar. Spring 1980. Gibraltar: Gibraltar Ornithological Society.
• Irby, L. H. (1895) The Ornithology of the Straits of Gibraltar, 2nd Ed. London: Taylor & Francis.
• Saunders, H. (1871) A list of the birds of southern Spain. Ibis, (3)1: 54-68, 205-225, 384-402.
• Verner, W. (1909) My life among the wild birds of Spain. London: John Bale, Sons & Danielsson, Ltd.
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