Is this seagull abandoned? What do we do?

5 comments

1. Is this a joke?

2. It can be normal for fledgling birds – seagulls included – to spend a few days on the ground before flying. Normally parents would still be nearby and feeding, you’d just need to keep an eye out for cats. [This is quite a useful summary with tips.](https://helpwildlife.co.uk/advice/baby-gulls/) . Hoping for the best.

3. Just leave it alone.

   The RSPCA have no interest In seagulls. Or any animals for that matter

4. Bring it out from under bush and hold it in your hand in the open for about ten minutes if parents are around and feeding it they will divebomb you, in that case put it back under bush and parents will deal with issue.

   If parents don’t appear then it will be dehydrated and die quickly.

   In this case put it in a box covered for a few hours till it calms from being picked up then put some very wet cat food on a saucer by it and also a very small quite deep container of water, something like the plastic box off mushrooms is ideal so it cant fall in.

   If it doesn’t drink after a while you need to get water on your hand and drip water at the edge of the beak, only drips and not in its beak or nostrils.

   Hold it and gently check it is not injured at all.pull the wing gently extended and check for breaks.

   Ask me if anything else needed before you can get it to a rehabber.

   Source – am seagull keeper.

5. If it’s adult sized and grey leave it alone. They only need rescuing if the parents aren’t coming back or they are injured. Once they lose the fluff they are ready to leave the nest and wander around even if they can’t fly yet.

   We have lots in our street most years. The parents go hunting during the day and come back in the evening. The babies have a wander, stretch their wings, practice flying and scavenge food. I usually put a shallow bowl of water out for them when it’s hot but otherwise they need to be left alone.