Seagull alert due to nearby landfill
Near Rome, a 42,000 m² photovoltaic system was installed on the roof of a freight forwarding company. Despite its location near a landfill, there were initially no problems with seagulls. However, the situation changed dramatically when the seagulls discovered the solar panels as a breeding and resting place.
The proximity to the landfill offered ideal living conditions for the gulls, resulting in the solar panels being almost completely covered in droppings and hundreds of gulls living there. The steadily growing gull population led to significant pollution, resulting in substantial revenue losses and necessitating costly cleaning operations.
Cleaning the heavily soiled facility was extremely complex and, due to limited access, could only be done manually, requiring considerable time and personnel (10 employees over 3 weeks). The aim was to completely deter the seagulls immediately after cleaning in order to restore the facility's profitability.
To combat the gull problem, five BirdAlert devices, each equipped with four loudspeakers and controlled by artificial intelligence (AI), were installed. The devices generated warning calls audible throughout the site. They emitted realistic panic calls and cries of the gulls' natural predators to effectively deter them.
The strategy was based on changing the birds' behavior: when approaching the solar array, they reacted to the warning calls and subsequently perceived the area as unsafe. The solar panels, which had previously served as protected roosting, resting, and breeding grounds, were no longer used by the gulls. They sought out other locations outside the affected area. The entire measure was implemented before the start of the breeding season and proved to be a complete success.
