Western Gulls and Humans
The Western Gull is currently not considered threatened. However, they have, for a gull, a restricted range. Numbers were greatly reduced in the 19th century by the taking of seabird eggs for the growing city of San Francisco. Western Gull colonies also suffered from disturbance where they were turned into lighthouse stations, or, in the case of Alcatraz, a prison.
Western Gulls are very aggressive when defending their territories and consequently were persecuted by some as a menace. The automating of the lighthouses, and the closing of Alcatraz Prison, allowed the species to reclaim parts of its range. They are currently vulnerable to climatic events like El Niño events and oil spills.
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Famous quotes containing the words western, gulls and/or humans:
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“blind wantons like the gulls who scream
And rip the edge off any ideal or dream.”
—Louis MacNeice (1907–1963)
“The land is the host and humans merely guests.”
—Chinese proverb.