Great black-backed gull Larus marinus, juvenile standing in shallow water, Hampshire

Helping Injured Seagulls & Baby Seagulls

Gull chicks leave the nest at an early age in search of cover and it's common to find a chick fallen from its roof-top nest. What should you do?

How to deal with injured gulls

It can be common to find a chick on the ground. An uninjured chick must be left where it is in the care of its own parents.

If it is in danger, it can be moved a short distance to a safer place, but be wary that the parents may try to protect the chick and fly at you if you are near it.

Injured gulls are best reported to welfare organisations such as the RSPCA/ SSPCA/ USPCA or taken to a wildlife hospital or a local vet.

The RSPB is a conservation organisation and we do not have any facilities, resources or expertise to care for injured or baby birds. 

You might also be interested in

Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla, pair, displaying at nest, Dunbar

Gull breeding habitats and nest sites

 Traditional nest sites include sea-cliffs, sand dunes, islands on the coast, and other inaccessible locations.
Corncrake, RSPB Nene Washes Nature Reserve

If you find an injured bird

 Before handling an injured bird, you should consider the benefits of treatment against the stress of the experience.
Herring gull Larus argentatus, adult perched on harbour wall, waiting for scraps of food from tourists take aways.

Urban gulls and the law

 Gulls are a traditional part of seaside environments, but there's concern about their increasing presence in urban areas