Conservationists say Seaside hosts the only U.S. Heermann's gull colony; commission approves outreach spending

Amanda Priest, a board member and conservation committee chair for the Monterey Audubon Society, told the Seaside Environmental Commission on June 22 that Seaside hosts the only known Heermann's gull breeding population in the United States and described a rapid, concentrated nesting season on local rooftops.

"This is the only population of nesting Heermann's gulls in the entire United States," Priest said in her presentation, explaining that the species has a global population estimated at about 350,000 but that roughly 90% of nesting occurs on Isla Rasa in the Sea of Cortez. She warned that that concentration makes the species vulnerable to El Niño, food shortages and other climate‑driven disruptions.

Priest said local nesting has expanded since the late 1990s and that volunteers and student researchers counted approximately 70 nests in the Broadway/Calver area this season. She reported the first chicks were observed on May 25 and said the first fledging was expected around June 29, creating a high‑risk window when grounded chicks may wander into traffic.

"Drive slowly," Priest urged residents and visitors, offering a core message of the group's fledgling outreach: slow down on Broadway during the April–July nesting/fledging period, watch for chicks, and contact the Monterey County SPCA wildlife center if you find an injured bird. She said outreach materials—posters, brochures and sandwich‑board signs—are ready for distribution and volunteers will staff short‑term 'babysitter' patrols to herd chicks out of danger.

Priest described monitoring methods this year that include drone surveys and opportunistic close‑up footage from student volunteers; she also said a permitted bander affiliated with a partner organization plans to band grounded fledglings when safe, to improve tracking of local movements and wintering destinations.

For a longer‑term solution, Priest reviewed the original artificial islands at Robert's Lake that have eroded and said rebuilding or enlarging islands could provide safer nesting habitat but would require engineering, coastal permits and ongoing maintenance.

Commission discussion focused on how to reach drivers and shoppers during the narrow fledging window, legal constraints about permanent street signage, and how to coordinate with businesses that host gull nests on gravel roofs. Commissioners noted the Neighborhood Improvement Commission had approved $2,000 toward gull signage earlier in the month, and the presentation materials include printable posters and a trifold brochure that local partners offered to share for city distribution.

On a separate motion later in the meeting the commission authorized limited, time‑sensitive spending to support immediate outreach tied to the gull campaign: up to $250 for tabling materials, up to $500 for wearable items for commission volunteers, up to $750 for plants/seeds to hand out at events, and up to $1,500 to pursue gull‑safety signage (sandwich boards or similar temporary signs). The motion was seconded and approved by voice vote; the minutes do not list individual vote tallies.

The commission and presenters emphasized that the rooftop nesting is a short seasonal occurrence and that outreach is intended to reduce traffic mortality, explain the birds' presence to businesses and the public, and buy time while longer‑term habitat solutions are explored.