‘I love seagulls. They are the true punks of today. They make me laugh.
When they steal things (property to me is theft anyway..) it is because we eat chips by the seaside at exactly the same time as they have a clutch of huge big babies to feed. I call them Fluff Gulls, those big squawking, hunched back teenagers who cover the roofs of seaside towns in late spring, early summer.
My life would be less rich without seagulls.
And yet some people are putting up nets that hurt seagulls. We can’t be having that’.
Siobhan (Rebel Dykes and Riot Films)
This was just one of many lovely messages I had from petition supporters. It brought a smile to my face. I hope it does to you too.
Please consider signing and sharing the petition using the link below if you haven’t already.
#BanBirdNetting #NoToBirdSpikes #KillerBirdNetting #Birds #Nature #UrbanNature #GullsAreGreat #PigeonsDeserveBetter #Roofers #Builders #ReduceBirdDeterrents #Biodiversity #WildlifeCrime
Thanks to lovely kind people like you many email letters calling for a stop to the cruelty to birds are arriving the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and George Eustice MP Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. They demonstrate the public feeling against unkind rooftop bird deterrents.
Will you also add your voice now by taking action from the list below if you haven’t done so already?
Let’s together stop the deaths and injuries to birds that so called ‘humane’ rooftop bird deterrent mesh netting and metal spikes cause.
I started this petition after seeing a dead Herring Gull seemingly killed by bird deterrent spikes on a rooftop. Herring Gulls are not the only rooftop birds affected by the bird deterrents. For example Kittiwakes are affected too and like Herring Gulls are red listed as of conservation concern. The Lesser Black-backed Gull is also on the amber list and swallows and swifts may now be declining. Rooftop birds like gulls, pigeons, birds of prey, crows, swifts and swallows are all vulnerable to being injured or killed by the netting & spikes.
This week's magnificent postcard like image from Cornwall was yet again kindly donated by ©Debbie Geraghty. She calls her beautiful images bird activists :-).
Let’s help influence our four nations to be For Nature, not Against Nature. Please will you kindly email a letter to your own political representative using the text and contact details below or share or financially support the petition? It will be a huge help!
As an example of just some of deaths and injuries caused on a local basis to our wildlife, a helpful Scottish pest controller shared with me that he has tried to help 20 gulls and more than 100 pigeons and even swifts caught in such netting in the last year, whilst an animal rescuer in Suffolk also reported regular deaths of gulls caught in netting and how harrowing it is to see them.
Help to save a seagull, pigeon, swallow or swift
Action 1: Sign and share the petition using the link below. Why not consider supporting the petition financially to help it grow?
Action 2: Copy, paste and then email the letter text below to your local politician or prioritize sending one to George Eustice at DEFRA.
Action 3: Tweet or leave messages on the Facebook pages of your local MP, MS or MSP with your own message about stopping the cruelty caused by rooftop bird deterrents.
Action 4: Consider supporting your local animal rescue centre, push for climate action or use the just giving link to Hydeaway below the letter text to help stop the closure of this important rescue home for disabled gulls.
#NoToBirdSpikes #BanBirdNetting #ReduceBirdDeterrents #KillerBirdNetting #TwitterNatureCommunity #Biodiversity #GullsAreGreat #ClimateActionNow #PigeonsDeserveBetter #Nature
Make a big difference across the UK: Email the short letter text below to George Eustice, MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Use either of these two emails: defra.hotline@defra.uk or george.eustice.mp@parliament.uk
Alternatively, email your own personally worded letter.
If you prefer email your local councillor, MP, MS or MSP to get them on board.
Important: Remember to change who you address it to, keep it short and include your address and contact details. Contact details of all local representatives can be found at writetothem.com
Wales: Minister responsible for this issue is now Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister of Climate Change Correspondence. email: lee.waters@gov.wales
Scotland: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport. (Use above website for representatives).
Here is the suggested text for the letter..
___________________________________________________________
Dear Rt Hon George Eustice MP,
Reduce the use of cruel bird deterrents on buildings
I write to you to ask you to speak up for rooftop birds and urban wildlife. In the face of the climate and biodiversity crises, ahead of this autumn’s proposed COP26 meeting in Glasgow, please make a commitment to ensure a reduction in the use cruel bird deterrent measures such as cruel mesh netting and metal bird spikes on buildings.
I am alarmed many declining or even red listed birds are injured or killed as a result of the cruel deterrent measures on rooftops in the UK. Despite current methods to ensure ‘humane’ control of birds causing ‘nuisance’, wildlife rescue centres, pest controllers and roofers are reporting slow, lingering deaths or injuries to declining and common bird species.
Birds affected importantly include red or amber listed gull species, birds of prey, and declining species such as swallows and swifts.
Faced with the climate and biodiversity crises, it would be timely to better understand and reassess our relationship with urban nature species including rooftop and common birds reconsidering how they are treated in our towns. The definition of bird nuisance could be better nuanced so inappropriate use of bird deterrents is designed out. Since the use of bird deterrents crosses many areas of administration it would be helpful to focus on stamping out cruelty and species loss by action across agencies rather than simply focusing on reducing bird nuisance.
Please stand up for urban wildlife. In particular commit to a new vision for our diverse rooftop bird species and ensure urban wildlife crimes are followed up and prosecuted.
The recent report from the IPCC and IPBES made clear ‘- every local nature-based biodiversity solution in our cities and towns matter as they accumulate together on a global scale’. Changing public and industry behaviours on how we treat our urban wildlife can help mitigate the interrelated crises of biodiversity and climate change. It will also importantly help accelerate collective action by the community.
I trust you will put a stop the cruel bird deterrent measures and fully support this collective campaign.
Yours sincerely
(Your Signature)
____________________________________________________________
Will you consider helping to save Hydeaway which is the home of Bird Aid; a wildlife rescue centre and sanctuary that specialises in Gulls? The place was founded by Julia and Ian Gould, provides a home for disabled Gulls (which can live to 30 years), and is large enough to rescue and accommodate adult and baby Gulls (Fluff Chicks!). They take in 500+ birds every year from all over Southern England. One of their former Trustees, who wanted to contribute funds, has now decided they want their money returned. The fantastic facilities can't easily be replicated and it’s largely been funded by the founders who work every day, for no pay, with a real dedication.
Together we can leave a functioning planet behind for our children. Let’s include the squawking gulls, cooing pigeons and other common birds of our rooftops.
Be a Rooftop Bird Activist…
Ramp up the pressure by emailing your political representatives.
Join the Facebook group: Rooftop Bird Club
If you have photographic evidence of injury or death to birds caused by bird deterrents please consider sharing photos with the petition link on social media with your reaction and the relevant hashtags. If you are on Twitter do DM me at @joboxer12 or via Messenger.
Any helpful ideas, research or contacts please DM at @joboxer12 or at the Rooftop Bird Club.
Let’s go for punk bird gold and ruffle some feathers! Please keep this petition soaring and even consider supporting it financially to reach more views online. Thank you so much!