Public Interest Post - 2025 - The Seagull Conundrum
Public Interest Post - 2025 - The Seagull Conundrum
This is the research I completed while doing a Postgraduate Micro Credential (NFT Level 9) about the Futures of Artificial Intelligence in University of Galway. It is about using A.I. to solve the Seagull problem in Eyre Square Galway Ireland.
The Seagull Conundrum: The Pitch Video
First there is the pitch video for my AI idea: Link: The Seagull Conundrum - YouTube
The Seagull Conundrum
How A.I. can be used to deal with issues around Seagulls in Modern Cities
John Jennings
Micro-Credential: The Futures of AI
Introduction
With the growth of cities also comes a growth in population.
Population growth can lead to more waste and litter in this environment.
However, despite the issues with waste generally, there is also competition for
this ‘resource’. There are more humans and more waste, but there is also
wildlife that likes to feed on garbage and leftover food.
Wildlife in cityscapes can vary from rats to ants to varying
different species of bird. But, the most common feeder, in Galway city, is
Seagulls. This can lead to a lot of issues, such as competition for the waste
resource and also lead to complications such as injury to humans or indeed the
Seagulls themselves. However, conflict between Seagulls and Humans could be
reduced with the intervention of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system.
Objectives
The objective of this research is to highlight issues around
seagull-human interactions. Then to discuss possible ways that AI could be used
to reduce or intervene in conflict scenarios, and as an addendum to seagull
human interactions there will be a brief examination of ways that this could
further be developed for conservation for this protected species.
Incidents
There have been some incidents involving human and seagull
interactions such as people getting hurt or injured by seagulls when they are
hungry or seeking food. Sometimes people are seen as a source of food,
sometimes they are seen as competition for food. One example of this is in
Galway city, when people were attached for their food. Two women were attacked
in Galway by Seagulls, this was attributed to poor waste disposal. (Corrigan S
(2024)) In this scenario the main victims of the incident were the women who
were injured. However, incidents involving interactions between seagulls and
humans can also endanger the seagulls themselves. An example of this occurred
in 2004, when during a GAA match, much to the shock of the audience and the participants
a disorientated seagull appeared on the pitch (O'Reilly A (2024)). While it is
unclear whether the seagull was looking for food or had an injury, it would
have been in a lot of danger if a passing ball or sliotar had hit it or indeed
if a rowdy fan had negatively interacted with it. If there was some sort of AI
warning system, these events may not have occurred.
Scenarios
For the sake of simplicity, instead of trying to apply AI to
every possible scenario. A sample scenario will be presented and then
suggestions as to where and how AI could be used to deal with any negative
consequences.
Scenarios will be set in Eyre Square Galway. This is a
precise area of 3 acres (Wikipedia, Eyre Square. 2025) surrounded
by buildings and it is renowned for having a strong seagull problem. In Eyre
square it can be seen in the diagram below (Figure 1) that there is no shortage
of places for Seagulls to perch.
Figure 1 Eyre Square Layout (J. Jennings 2025)
There are the following perching areas:
·
Bus Shelters
·
Flag posts
·
Lampposts
·
Buildings
·
Trees
·
Ancillary Structures
In the middle of this we will call the area where the Humans
and Seagulls are most likely to interact the ‘Green Area’ See Figure 2.
Figure 2. Green Area (J. Jennings 2025)
The above figures are the areas that will be referred to in the rest of the paper.
Scenario 1. For our first scenario, we will take the example
of a romantic couple in Galway. They go for a date and get hungry. Naturally,
they go into a fast-food establishment and acquire some food. As it is a nice
day, they decide to go to Eyre Square, into the Green Area. They begin to eat; however,
they are suddenly surrounded by seagulls, waving their wings making noise. Some
of the food is dropped to the ground in fright and some of the food is simply
snatched from the couple’s hands. The date is clearly over. The couple parts
ways and tell everyone they know about the terrible encounter in Eyre Square. This
along with any bystander’s smartphone footage of the incident placed online,
may have a detrimental effect on Eyre Squares reputation of a relaxing picnic
spot or even on Galway’s tourism industry.
Scenario 2. Involves protecting
the seagulls. Seagulls in a human environment are seen as either a nuisance or
a novelty. People may get annoyed at seagulls being noisy or taking food, this
could lead to violence against the seagull, and it could be attacked or
injured. Overfamiliarity with the Seagulls is another issue. When young
children or students see the seagulls too often, they could approach these
birds with amusement. This however could lead to situations where they are
harassed by the public. This could lead again to Seagulls getting sick,
injured, confused or disorientated.
Possible Solutions
There are different solutions involving AI that could be
implemented.
·
A Seagull warning system
· A Seagull distraction system
Seagull Warning System
What would a seagull warning system involve? A seagull
warning system would be linked to sensors around Eyre Square, possibly in areas
known for Seagull Human Interactions in real time. On identifying a Seagull in close proximity to
humans it would sound a harmless alarm from a warning system to scare the
Seagulls away. See Figure 3 below:
Figure 3 Seagull Warning System (J. Jennings 2025)
This system could also be adapted to warn the humans of
approaching seagulls, however, it would have to be a subtle warning as it would
defeat the purpose of the system if humans were more frightened of the alarm
than the seagulls themselves, this may result in reduced footfall in the Square
and could have a knock on affect for tourism in Galway in general.
Seagull Distraction System
Then there is the alternative idea of a Seagull Distraction
System. What would a Seagull Distraction System involve?
The A.I. would once again be connected to sensors to prevent
Seagull-Human interaction. However, these sensors may be higher up, as the aim
would be to distract the Seagulls from the area, prior to them entering the
Green Area. The A.I. would also be connected to specialized bird feeding
containers on rooftops near the area. When the A.I. picks up a seagull the containers
would open and distract the Seagulls preventing an interaction event. These systems
would be facing entrance points to Eyre Square to have the Food
Dispensers/Boxes active prior to the seagulls entering the Green Area. See
Figure 4 below:
Figure 4. Seagull Distraction System (J. Jennings 2025)
Role of A.I. in these systems.
The A.I. would have to be able to distinguish between Humans
and Seagulls. It would have to be capable of recognizing the difference.
However, given that Seagulls are basically one color, this makes it less
complex. The seagull is white, and the humans have a basic humanoid shape and
come in all different colors, textures and patterns. Also, the size and shape
of the Seagull should make it relatively easy for A.I. recognition tech to
recognize it.
Next, the A.I. would also have to glean distance and
proximity. If the A.I. does not measure the distance properly then the system
may activate when a seagull is over 50 foot away and nowhere near humans. Also,
for the distraction system the AI will have to be able to measure longer
distances and the possible approach route of the seagull, otherwise it may be
opening the Food Dispenser/Boxes for birds who are out of range and are not coming
anywhere near Eyre Square.
The distraction system would require the A.I. to be linked
to rooftop Food Dispensers/Boxes. This would require the AI to be able to
recognize Seagull’s proximity to Eyre Square and activate the distraction.
Possible Benefits
These warning and distraction systems could make it safer
for humans to utilize the green space in Eyre Square. The Seagulls would also
benefit as the Food Dispensers could be filled with food that is safe and
nutritious for them to eat or seagull specific food. This would benefit the
creatures much better than random human food which may not always be agreeable.
From an environmental point of view, it would also make the streets a lot
cleaner as rubbish bags and food consumption areas would not suffer from
interference by seagulls.
Research
There are other methods of dealing with seagulls interacting
with the human environment. Methods suggested by Pest Control Businesses vary. (Wicklow
Pest Control 2025) There is placing nets around food in public. However, while
this may sound practical, it would still not affect ants or rodents as they
could easily crawl under nets, also if people are walking around eating food it
would be difficult to put nets over them. Then we have bird spikes and wires which
is basically placing spikes and barbed wires around food and food areas, this
of course creates a risk of birds getting injured, not to mention the
possibility of curious children and other wildlife getting hurt. Then there is
falconry, which involves having a bird of prey scare or hunt the seagulls. This
of course creates a risk of the falcon also getting hurt.
However, there is also the use of an Ultrasonic device. The
ultrasonic device (or a similar device) could be used in the Seagull warning
system, discussed earlier, to scare the seagulls away when they are approaching
humans. It would, however. need to be calibrated, so as not to confuse or
disorientate the seagulls. (Wicklow Pest Control 2025)
Current uses of AI in this area.
Currently there are projects around wind turbines that use
AI to protect birds. Irida Bird Project protects birds from wind turbines. They
use AI to detect the proximity of birds. When a bird enters a ‘Deterrence Zone’
near the turbines it omits a harmless sound to deter the bird from entering the
area. This could be adapted to create a deterrence zone around city spaces and
protect humans. (Irida Technologies (2023))
There is another company called Silo A.I. they use AI to
slow down the speed of wind turbines when birds are approaching, thus,
guaranteeing them safe passage in the area Jokiluhta M (2023). The distraction
system could use similar technology. Instead of slowing down wind turbines it
could activate food boxes when they approach Eyre Square.
Reception of the Systems
On suggesting this system there may be a few legal hurdles
to cross. The public would obviously have to be consulted, however, there could
be a competition to decide on the best alarm to warn humans, this would get the
public involved and they would be invested in it. Also, the public may have
concerns about possible health issues resulting to long term exposure to the
sensors/scanners.
The City Council would have to be consulted, as the system
would require the placement of these sensors and exact placement in the Square.
Residents may have concerns about lights flashing in their windows. This may
lead to the system being used between certain hours of the day and being
deactivated in the evening.
As for the food dispensers, it is likely that the permission
would have to be obtained from the building owners or businesses in the area.
However, it could prove to be a positive initiative if the business were given
a small conservation grant for helping the endangered seagull.
There may also be some issues around the privacy of
citizens. Some people may not appreciate being near a scan and may fear that
the AI recognition may recognize them individually. These doubts could be
mitigated by a demonstration of how the AI recognition software perceives
humans in this scenario.
There will probably be some debate as to who will refill the
food dispensers and maintain the scanners. There may be some vandalism and
mischief. However due to the conservation aspect of the project it is unlikely
that there will be too much mischief.
Future Development
If the A.I. was placed in Eyre Square to warn and deter
human-seagull interactions. The A.I. could also be adapted to monitor the
seagull presence in and around the city for conservation purposes and possibly compile
a data set of seagull behavior. Over time the A.I could predict elements such
as seasons, location, flight paths, temperature, wind speed which may lead seagulls
to feed in Eyre Square in the first place.
If the system works in Eyre Square, it could be used in
other cities or areas. The data gleaned form the AI could be used to determine
more suitable locations for scanners and possible better sensors for similar
projects.
Summary and conclusions
There are a lot of incidents involving seagulls and Humans interacting. These incidents often result in negative scenarios. The negative scenarios for humans may involve loss of food. Injury or even psychological fear. However, it is not all about the Humans. Seagulls can also be negatively affected by these scenarios; they may be injured from an angry person who just had their food stolen or indeed they may be injured through overfamiliarity. This would include incidents of people being overfamiliar with the creatures and befriending them, however this may involve alcohol or young children trying to pet them, of course this may result in injury to the poor seagull.
The motivation behind this is to avoid contact between
humans and seagulls as much as possible. The simplest way is through different
methods. Using the example of Eyre Square, it has been posited that
interactions could be avoided in two ways. These two ways involve the use of sensors
placed in Eyre Square to disrupt interactions in two different ways. The first
one is a warning system. When the sensors pick up a seagull approaching a human
in Eyre Square, it could set off an alarm, now this doesn’t have to be a loud
alarm or something frightening, just enough to scare away the seagull or
possibly to warn the humans of approaching creatures.
In the examples shown in Research the technology already
exist it is just a matter of adapting it to this scenario. In the future this
could be adapted to other cities and also to other creatures.
There are some issues around the Council, Privacy and who is
responsible for the food boxes and maintaining the scanners, however with some
organization and public consultation on the project, these issues could be
easily dealt with.
References
Corrigan S (2024) Connacht Tribune. 'Two women need hospital
treatment after being bitten by seagulls in separate incidents' Retrieved from
https://connachttribune.ie/two-women-need-hospital-treatment-after-being-bitten-by-seagulls-in-separate-incidents/ Accessed 02 March 2025
Irida Technologies Bird Project (2023)
https://irida-tech.ai/bird-protect/ Accessed 05/03/2025
Jokiluhta M (2023) DHI and SIlo AI build a computer vision application to protect endangered birds from Collison with wind turbines. https://www.silo.ai/blog/dhi-and-silo-ai-collaboration Accessed 03/03/2025
O'Reilly A (2024) Irish Exminer ''Disoriented seagull seen during All-Ireland football final taken into care of wildlife experts' Retrieved from: https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41445943.html 02 March 2025
Wikipedia, Eyre Square (2025) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyre_Square
Wicklow Pest Control (2025) WicklowPestControl.ie 'The
Hidden Dangers of Seagulls: Why Effective Control is Crucial for Health and
Safety' Retrieved from: https://wicklowpestcontrol.ie/the-hidden-dangers-of-seagulls/
02 March 2025
Images
Jennings, J 2025
All Images by the Author
Figure 1 Eyre Square Layout
Figure 2 Green Area
Figure 3 Seagull Warning System
Figure 4 Seagull Distraction System
Comments
Post a Comment