Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Investigating Nocturnal Uas Treatments In An Applied Context To Prevent Gulls From Nesting On Rooftops, Morgan Pfeiffer, Craig K. Pullins, Scott F. Beckerman, Joshua L. Hoblet, Brad Blackwell

USDA Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Ring‐billed (Larus delawarensis) and herring (L. argentatus) gulls are numerous and widespread in North America. These gulls rank among the top 9 species for risk of bird‐aircraft collisions (hereafter strikes). The ubiquitous presence of gulls in urban coastal environments, including rooftop nesting behavior, are factors impacting strike risk. Our purpose was to assess gull response to a small uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) in hazing flights at night during the nest‐building phase. We hypothesized that nocturnal UAS operation, like nocturnal predator disturbance, might reduce gull numbers and, thus, strike risk to aircraft. In spring 2021, we conducted …