Green roof becomes home to 15,000 birds that Toronto public transit will use ‘sound cannons’ on to get rid of
For the next three and a half months, the Toronto Transit Commission will use “sound cannons” on the rooftop of Leslie Barns in effort to stop seagulls from nesting and returning to the building.
The streetcar maintenance and storage facility was outfitted with a green roof in 2015, and since then seagulls have been increasingly visiting. So much so that the TTC now estimates 10,000 to 15,000 seagulls visit the 90,000 square foot green roof annually.
The facility, which cost $500 million, opened in 2017 after four years of construction. It is one of several notable buildings with a green roof in Toronto, others include Toronto City Hall and Fairmont Royal York. The roofs incorporate vegetation on rooftops and are intended to reduce rainwater run-off, improve insulation, combat urban heat and enhance air quality and biodiversity.
The sound cannons will be in use mid-march until the end of June, aligning with the arrival of the seagulls and their nesting season, with the goal of encouraging the seagulls to relocate and nest elsewhere. Though the birds may not be the only ones bothered.
According to the TTC, customers who travel on the 83 Jones bus and those who work or live in the neighbourhoods nearby, may hear the sound cannons between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
They add that the cannons will be activated a maximum of four times per hour and will only be used when seagulls are present.
They compare the sound to a single firework, fired from a distance. The cannons will also be pointed away from the residential areas to decrease noise.
“Within the building, the sound will be more noticeable, similar to the volume of a jackhammer or an oncoming ambulance, but in a short single burst,” the TTC said in a news release .
The TTC added that the seagull problem has led to “unsanitary and disruptive working conditions for TTC employees.”
“The high roof location also
The sound cannons will be in use mid-march until the end of June, aligning with the arrival of the seagulls and their nesting season, with the goal of encouraging the seagulls to relocate and nest elsewhere.
creates difficult living conditions for seagull chicks who are desperate for food and water and not yet capable of flight,” they added.
TTC will then evaluate the effectiveness and determine if same method needs to be tried again next year.
They added that no seagulls will be harmed and they worked with a biologist and noise consultant to ensure the sound cannons are used safely and effectively.
The TTC has also tried to address the issue by installing wires on the roof to make it more challenging for the birds to access it, covering the roof with plastic sheets, ensuring a staff member visits the roof frequently and activating the green roof sprinklers.
They say none of these techniques were effective in reducing the seagull numbers long-term.
The City of Toronto is currently in the midst of a pigeon control pilot project that’s set to conclude at the end of this year.
Part of the strategy includes the use of a pelleted food that acts as a contraceptive , with the goal of decreasing the targeted pigeon populations by 50 per cent annually.
Birds of prey are also used by the city to cull other birds and vermin.