Page 37 - BBC Wildlife Volume 36 #10
P. 37
KITTIWAKES
List’. Numbers have plummeted, possibly so rich in opportunity – turns hostile. vision of kittiwakes, pigeons and other birds Fireman: Oscar Dewhurst
as a result of declining availability of sand- Kittiwakes are no exception. In Newcastle resembles flames. “Birds will completely
eels, the birds’ main prey. Some kittiwake and Gateshead, the interests of the colony desert a habitat, even one they have been
colonies, especially on Scottish islands, have have begun to butt up against the interests using for years,” claims the product’s
collapsed; the population along England’s of the human population. The yawping advertising blurb. Its effects, however,
east coast however, seems to be holding noise, the spattering excrement: for many, wear off after two or three years. A less
steady. In fact the Tyne colony is growing. these things are a price worth paying for high-tech solution is to string up netting
sharing the city with these graceful birds. across potential nest sites. This is where the
An urban habitat But for others, it’s a call to arms. trouble in Newcastle began.
“How big the colony can get is obviously “They’re a tricky subject, kittiwakes,” “The problem with netting is, on a tall
limited by how many ledges there are in the Derek admits. “They’re like Marmite – building, it’s hard to maintain,” says Helen
city,” says Derek Hilton-Brown, an ecologist you either hate them or love them. Many Quayle. “When it becomes slack or worn it’s
at Newcastle City Council. “Kittiwakes are businesses on the quayside aren’t keen on more likely that birds may try to nest and
not keen to go much further into the city kittiwakes. They’re noisy, they’re messy, they can get tangled in it.” The text of the
or much further upstream. They seem they’re smelly… but then so are most of petition against the netting, launched with
almost to have reached the carrying the area’s stag and hen nights, and nobody the backing of Chris Packham and others,
capacity of the buildings.” turns those away.” noted: “Whilst the theoretical justification
Urban wildlife, from foxes to ring-necked Unsurprisingly, some businesses have of the netting has been to protect buildings,
parakeets, has a perennial problem: when it taken steps to deter the kittiwakes. One is significantly more damage has been done
gets too successful, its habitat – previously the application of ‘fire gel’, which to the UV by the installation of the nets than was ever
caused by the birds themselves.”
“There’s not much we can really do
to stop people doing it,” Derek admits.
“Effectively, it’s protecting their building –
Above: The fate of there can be a lot of damage from bird muck
kittiwakes who found and stuff. The main issue is protecting
themselves entangled doorways, and people coming in and out.”
in netting used to The council, together with the Tyne
protect buildings
The interests of the colony prompted outrage on Kittiwake Partnership, works hard to
social media. Some encourage a more positive attitude
have begun to butt up birds were rescued towards the Tyne birds. One common (and
by firefighters, damaging) misconception is that kittiwakes
against those of humans. however many others will follow the lead of herring- and lesser
were not so lucky.
black-backed gulls and become waterfront
marauders, plundering waste-bins, stealing
October 2018 BBC Wildlife 37
