Sea Gulls Outsmart Calif. Town's Plans

The gulls don't give a hoot about fake rooftop owls used to keep gulls away from homes and businesses in the Ventura Harbor area.
If anything, the ersatz owls have become a curiosity to the gulls, said Ken Farzad, owner of the harbor's Hornblower's Restaurant. "Some of the gulls will actually go up to the owls and peck at them."
"They leave a mess with their feathers and everything else," Farzad said, expressing disgust over the messy sea birds roosting atop area buildings.
"We need to give them more time before we decide they don't work," said Oscar Pena, the Port District's general manager, who noted the owls, which cost about apiece, only are supposed to scare 30 percent to 40 percent of the gulls that land nearby.
If they don't work, Pena said the district should buy "bigger, meaner-looking owls."
Gulls are attracted to the tops of buildings because they are safe places and the rooftops give them a clear view of the area.