Venice Hotels Provide Water Guns to Guests as a Unique Seagull Deterrent

Seagulls have long flocked to Venice, practically becoming part of the character of Piazza San Marco and the Grand Canal. However, in recent years, these birds have transformed into a nuisance for travelers, often trying to snatch food off tables or even right out of their hands. Consequently, some of the finest hotels in the city have come up with a creative solution to ward them off: water guns.

Both Gritti Palace and Hotel Monaco & Grand Canal are now providing their guests with toy pistols specifically designed to deter the gulls, as reported by The Guardian. Interestingly, these toys are all orange, a color that is said to repel the birds.

Paolo Lorenzoni, director of Gritti Palace, indicated that previous efforts included hiring falconers, which proved to be expensive, as well as using fake spinning owls; however, this method resulted in pigeons nesting on their heads. He noted, “As soon as they see the pistols, they fly away. You don’t even need to use them, you just need to keep them on the table.”

According to Italian news outlet ANSA, the seagull species in Venice, known as magoghe, are large birds with sharp beaks that exhibit a penchant for snatching food, regardless of the means. Previously, pigeons dominated the city’s avian population.

According to hygiene and environment expert Francesco Boemo, “The huge number of seagulls, in addition to being an aggressive and annoying presence for people, represent a problem for health and hygiene, as well as for buildings and the environment.” He further explained that, “They are, in fact, a protected species and cannot be eliminated, as is done, for example, with mice.”

A 2018 ban on the sale of grain that attracted these birds resulted in a population reduction of nearly 50 percent. Other proposed solutions include hiring a falconer to hunt the birds or attempting to ward them off using sounds or smells that humans cannot detect. Nevertheless, the use of water pistols has proven to be the most immediate and effective solution for the time being.