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Date Published: 25/01/2023

Denia to employ bird of prey to curb growing population of problematic seagulls

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It's hoped the eagle will scare off the seagulls and prevent them laying eggs in and around Denia's Castle

Denia to employ bird of prey to curb growing population of problematic seagulls

The ever-growing seagull population along Denia's coast, in particular its castle, has been an ongoing problem for the Town Hall for several years, with the birds causing a "disturbance" and posing a potential risk to visitors.

Until now, and for the last three years, the concessionary company responsible for pest control in Denia, Lokímica S.A., has adopted a preventative method of pricking seagull eggs after the laying season, preventing the birds' reproduction.

And according to the town council, this approach has contributed to reducing the overpopulation of seagulls by about 200 specimens per year.

However, this is simply not enough. There is still a large and problematic population of gulls in and around the ancient Denia fortress, which has prompted the concessionary company to hire a professional falconer.

The egg-pricking strategy will continue, but the hope is the eagle will "terrorise and scare" the gulls, attacking them so they don't lay their eggs in the fortress surroundings.

According to the Town Hall, "the aim is that the gulls associate the location with danger and disperse".

The bird of prey will be released in the castle three times a week for four months: the two months before and two months after the seagull breeding season. Breeding pairs typically start to court each other in late March and April and nest-building begins in early May

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Image: Ayuntamiento de Denia

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