Porto

2023: Portugal starts using drones to kill aggressive gulls

In early February 2023, the Porto authorities decided to fight the breeding gulls with drones. Drones will fly over the birds' nests and spray their eggs with a mixture of vegetable oil and paraffin. The project will also help fight aggressive birds.

According to the document, the plan covers four main areas, one of which prevents and minimizes reproduction in the urban space of birds, in which the plan proposes applying oil to eggs using adapted drones as a method to combat gull nesting. Local Portuguese officials consider this method safer, as previously workers had to climb to a greater height to take eggs from nests.

Seagull in Portugal

According to scientists, the aggression of generally peace-loving birds in Porto is due to the fact that chicks begin to fly in July and August. They scatter and fly in different directions, causing alarm to their parents, forced to "break up." If the Portuguese are used to loud shouts of gulls, although many do not like it, then in 2022 aggressive birds often began to attack people. Favorable conditions for maintaining a large population of gulls do not lead to the tourist growth of the city.

According to Portugal Resident, a dried mixture of vegetable oil and paraffin will form a layer that will disrupt the gas exchange between the inner and outer parts of the egg. Because of this, embryos will not receive the right amount of oxygen, will not be able to develop and hatch. There is a small bag of air directly under the shell shell. Microscopic pores in the shell allow oxygen to enter the interior, so that the developing fetus can breathe.

Drones to reduce the bird population have already been used in Nice. In Porto, this method will be used only in the seagull breeding season, which falls on April - June 2023. Further work depends on the results of the first use of vegetable oil and paraffin.

The action plan, according to Porto lawmakers, provides for the preparation or revision of good practice guidelines for the main seagull feeding sites. Proper management of organic waste and an awareness campaign for the general public explaining why they should not feed these birds. Porto authorities provide for the introduction of fines for those who were caught feeding gulls. Priority should be given to residential feeding as well as continued feeding on public streets.^[1][2]

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