Seagull thinks there is another bird in the reflective glass window
"Flutter, flutter, wham! Wham! Wham!" That's what pedestrians who walk by this Boston area office building have heard all week, as they watched this confused seagull fly into a mirrored glass window in Beacon Hill.
He even crossed Watchdog Mary's path several times. As you can see in this video she took, even trying to shuffle him away from "his other bird friend," did not work. He would just fly right back to his spot, and slam himself into the window again and again.
The poor guy looks so pitiful and hits the window with such force he looks like he is going to break his neck. At first Watchdog Mary thought he just wanted a pal? Or perhaps he was looking for love in all the wrong places? Turns out all her theories were incorrect.
Watchdog Mary contacted Amanda Kennedy, the head of Boston Animal Control, who also felt sorry for this birdbrained gull. Kennedy reported back, "I spoke with a few experts and everyone believes that this is a male and because it's mating season he sees the reflection as a threat to his territory," Kennedy said.
Initially everyone hoped this bird would just have a one or two day long turf battle with his "archrival," but people who work in the area say he's been fiercely fighting his reflection for almost a week. As you can see in the pictures this bird is really putting great effort into looking very scary.
Experts Kennedy contacted told her there's not a lot of solutions to assist this not so bright bird, "Short of papering the windows there really aren't any options. Hopefully he will calm down soon," Kennedy said.
When you usher the bird along, he just challenges the "gull" he sees in the next window. Some think that, well, perhaps it is best this poor bird does not reproduce, but they certainly don't want him to get hurt.
UPDATE: June 8, 2017:
Boston Animal Control, The Animal Rescue League of Boston and the management of the building worked together to try to block off the windows from the gull.
Boston Animal Rescue League works to help the confused seagull
First, they tried some tape and cones.
But that didn't hold this determined seagull back. He broke right through, making sure that "other bird" in the window knew he's top gull.
So they brought out enough cardboard to cover every window. That did the trick.
Check out the gull now. He's a little confused why he can't see that "other bird" but just keeps on walking.
Update: June 12, 2017: The cardboard is down and the gull has not been spotted. The plan seems to have worked. Experts thought after mating season ended he would not be as territorial. Either that, or he found a new gull in a new window somewhere else. Or perhaps, he finally found a mate?
For now, case closed.
