If it looks like a bird and squawks like a bird, it doesn’t always mean it can fly like a bird.
Erik Chalhoub here, with an annual reminder to slow down for the baby gulls. I drive Seaside’s roads daily, and unfortunately see the carnage everywhere. I recently had to come to a complete stop and slowly make my way around one fledgling gull that seemed confused about where to go.
July and early August is the time of the year when young gulls leave the nest. And even though they may be just as big as their parents, they can’t yet fly.
As they learn to use their wings, they often land in the middle of busy roadways. Many don’t make it out alive.
Monterey and Seaside in particular have large populations of gulls. Although there are three species that nest in rooftops in this area—Western, Heermann’s and California—all of the gulls have the same fledgling timetable, according to Monterey Audubon, making the vehicle-versus-bird interactions more likely this time of year.
The SPCA Monterey County Wildlife Center issued a warning to drivers to be aware of these fledgling gulls and realize they can’t fly out of the way when a vehicle approaches them, like adult birds can.
Hotspots for fledgling gulls include Cannery Row in Monterey, near CVS on Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey, and in the Edgewater Shopping Center in Sand City.
Beth Brookhouser of the SPCA says the wildlife center is currently caring for 35 gulls, some of which were hit by cars. This year, the SPCA has rescued nearly 160 gulls so far.
That’s an increase of about 50 more gulls compared to 2025, according to Brookhouser.
“We're not sure why intake is increasing,” she says. “We're hopeful it's because more people know about us and are stopping to help gulls in distress.”
If you see an injured gull, call the SPCA Wildlife Center at (831) 264-5427. If you must pick it up yourself and transport it to safety, make sure you take precautions.