Too Hot to Stay: Young Seagulls Forced From Nests During Hartlepool Heatwave...
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10th August 2026
An apparent increase in very young Seagulls being found on roads and pavements across Hartlepool is raising concerns that this summer’s repeated spells of extreme heat may be forcing some birds from exposed rooftop nesting sites well before they are ready to fly..
Residents in Hartlepool and other coastal communities are said to be becoming accustomed to seeing young Seagulls on the ground during the summer months.
This year, however, there appears to have been a particularly noticeable number of very young birds turning up at street level — including some very young chicks who are seemingly unable to fly.
While finding a young gull on the ground is not necessarily unusual, there’s said to be growing evidence that extreme heat is making rooftop nesting conditions particularly difficult for young birds, potentially prompting some to jump or fall from roofs prematurely in an attempt to escape the temperatures.
Record-breaking summer puts wildlife under pressure
The concerns come during an extraordinary summer for UK temperatures.
By the middle of July, the Met Office said Britain had already experienced three widespread heatwaves, with 2026 becoming the first year on record in which temperatures of 35C or higher had been recorded in May, June and July. By the 15th of July there’s also been more days above 30C than during the whole of the famous summer of 1976.
June was particularly exceptional. The Met Office has since verifying a temperature of 38C at Lingwood on 26 June, making it the highest June temperature ever officially recorded in the UK.
Although temperatures on the North East coast have not necessarily reached the extreme peaks recorded further south, prolonged warm spells and strong sunshine can create a very different environment on exposed rooftops, where many urban gulls choose to build their nests.
According to the Woodland Trust, birds are particularly vulnerable during very hot weather because, unlike humans, seagulls don’t not have sweat glands. They instead lose heat partly through respiration — the familiar sight of a bird sitting with its beak open and appearing to pant — while simultaneously losing water and facing increased risks of dehydration.
Rooftops can become dangerously hot
There;s also direct evidence from wildlife specialists elsewhere that extreme heat is causing young gulls to abandon their rooftop nests prematurely.
During a previous heatwave in Canada, the Wildlife Rescue Association of British Columbia reported a huge spike in young gulls requiring help after the birds jumped or fell from rooftops. Wildlife specialists said exposed roofs could become dangerously hot and that chicks could attempt to escape before they were capable of properly flying. Some were even reported to have suffered burns to their feet from hot roofing surfaces.
The evidence doesn’t by itself prove that heat is responsible for every young gull currently appearing on Hartlepool’s streets, but it demonstrates a recognised mechanism by which extreme temperatures is placing rooftop-nesting gull chicks in the summer months.
And the pressure on wildlife rescuers doesn’t seem to be confined to overseas organisations either, where In July this year, the Berwick Swan and Wildlife Trust in Northumberland reported that it was caring for more than 50 gull chicks at various stages of development, many of said to have fallen from nesting sites. The numbers became so great that the organisation had to temporarily stop accepting additional gull chicks while it struggled to provide sufficient space and care.
Nationally, the RSPCA, Scottish SPCA and British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council warned earlier this summer that admissions involving gulls have been increasing, particularly during the breeding season, with the RSPCA alone saying it’s cared for nearly 4,000 gulls over the past five years, with more than half involving young birds believed to be orphaned or grounded.
But a gull on the ground does not always need rescuing…
Despite appearances, its claimed many young seagulls found walking around streets, car parks and gardens are doing exactly what nature intended.
The RSPCA says gull chicks can leave their actual nest when they are only a few days old and relocate to another nearby spot. Their parents normally continue feeding and protecting them until they are around five or six weeks old.
Councils in other coastal areas similarly warn that young gulls frequently fall from rooftop nests into gardens and roads during the summer. Eggs are generally laid from May, with chicks appearing from June and fledging later in the summer. That means the sight of a brown or grey juvenile gull sitting on the pavement should not automatically prompt an attempted rescue.
The concern, however is greater where the bird is very small, still predominantly covered in fluffy down, visibly injured, unable to stand properly, trapped, or sitting in an immediately dangerous location such as a busy road.
Roads create another danger
For young gulls that do reach street level prematurely, Hartlepool’s urban environment presents obvious hazards.
A bird which cannot yet fly properly may wander into traffic, become trapped behind walls or fences, encounter dogs or cats, or suffer injuries from the original fall from a rooftop.
Hartlepool has experienced such problems before. In 2023, an RSPCA officer rescued a young gull which had become trapped for two days in a gap on the roof of Park Tower on Park Road, demonstrating some of the unusual hazards faced by birds nesting high above the town’s streets.
The combination of large numbers of rooftop nests, young birds beginning to explore their surroundings, inconsiderate road users and an exceptionally hot summer therefore creates a period during which motorists in particular need to take additional care.
What should you do if you find a young gull?
The RSPCA advises people not to automatically pick up a healthy young gull. In most cases its parents will still know exactly where it is and will continue returning to feed it.
Where a very young chick is in immediate danger, it may be possible to move it only a short distance to a safer elevated position, provided this can be done safely. Anyone finding a visibly sick or injured bird should instead seek advice from a vet or reputable wildlife rehabilitator.
People should also remember that adult gulls can become extremely protective & even aggressive when their offspring are approached, which explains much of the “dive-bombing” behaviour experienced in coastal towns during the summer.
Gulls, their eggs and active nests are also legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, meaning members of the public should not interfere with active nests simply because the birds are causing a nuisance.
For now, the unusually high number of youngsters being spotted around Hartlepool serves as another reminder that the effects of an exceptional summer heatwave is not just limited to people.
And although more local monitoring would be required before the apparent increase in grounded young gulls could be directly attributed to the heatwaves, evidence from wildlife organisations shows that extreme heat and exposed rooftop nests can be a dangerous combination — particularly for chicks which are still weeks away from becoming competent flyers.
