The beautiful couple seagulls

Dear Experts/Dear nature lovers, I am writing from Istanbul Turkey. As I was searching for a solution to our problem I saw your site. I believe to get good source of information. We live very close by the beautiful Bosphorus of Istanbul. We have naturally seagulls around and on many roofs they have their nests. Six years ago, on a heavy snowy day we saw two Seagulls on our windowsill, felt sorry and gave a piece of bread.. They returned.. And returned.. Continued with small fish by hand actually, and now every day we give them chicken liver which is cheaper than fish.. almost 1 kg. per day. We wrapped ourselves around this circle and maybe caused harm for the gulls. Because they only eat what we give them.. Liver.! No any other natural source. We went maybe too far to even name them; "Charlie & Tango" it is a couple.! We would like to stop feeding them, but, we just don't know how.. They come two, three times a day and take big chunks of liver. They only have to fly a couple of meters to get food from us, just to the chimney of the house in front. We went abroad for a few days and our concierge told us when we came back, they did not move an inch from our windowsill. They slept there day and night. The more we read the more knowledgeable we get about feeding gulls. Even all birds.. They need to find their own. But, than why are they hungry all the time? In winter they can't find food easily, no? Sometimes, I try to take a break like one day, but, they just don't leave our windowsill, it hurts us to watch them waiting and waiting. We come back from work, they just sit there.. We want to take the opportunity of summer time and stop feeding our Seagull couple. Prepare them for winter. Can you please tell us, how we do this? I mean, now that they completely forgot to find food for themselves. Getting food from us has become their natural habit.. Can they regain this natural ability that they were thought by their parents? I really feel guilty. Also, for the last two years our couple didn't have chicks (they tried really hard loud and clear) that they used to before, when we fed them with more fish. Could this be related to one type of food, liver? Since they eat sea food.. We will not let them starve if finding food on their own is a history because of us.. But, we would like them go back to their natural habits.. If they can.. Looking forward to your reply.
  • Hi Soley, I just found your post randomly and I am super curious to know what happen with Tango and Charly. I live in Bristol and I have been wondering what will happen with seagulls with the lockdown. This morning one tried to attack my cat in the garden so it seems they are getting aggressive. Maybe with us humans not feeding them and cafes and restaurants being closed they will start hunting again.
    I loved your story, thanks for sharing.
    X
  • hey anacorral, you may want to change your profile name to remove your email address, as this is the world wide web...who knows where you may end up getting spammed from! :o)
  • Hi Soley,

    How’s the seagull couple now? I’m now in Scotland and have a seagull couple waiting for me everyday as well. I have to leave the accommodation in late Aug. The only thing I can do is too reduce the amount of food gradually. The male has a broken leg that’s why I started feeding them...
  • Hi Soley,
     I feel your pain and guilt, I have been feeding a young gull for 2 years and it brought its chicks who now squeal when they see me through my window. It goes against everything in my nature to ignore them and I had reduced to a morning feed only but due to coronavirus the other gulls in the area are very hungry and they all flock in a huge crowd in the morning (it’s quite aggressive when they peck at each other for the food I put out), they are even eating seed that is thrown for the little birds as they are so desperately hungry and it hurts my heart. I can’t keep encouraging every gull to come. Although I hate the thought of any of them becoming weak or pained from hunger, I don’t want them to be dependent on me for food...I too would welcome advice Slight frown

  • Hi Soley, Heather and All

    I’ve followed this thread and would love to hear from Soley how he got on with Tango & Charlie, what a book that would be!
    I too have weaned my 2 resident beauty gulls of regular feeding. Working fine, I feel so guilty but for their sake and baby blackbirds sakes it had to be done as they had applied for a mortgage to build a fab permanent gull home in my garden!