Oak Harbor Approves Falconry Pilot to Reduce Nuisance Gulls in 2026

Oak Harbor will contract a licensed falconry service to deploy trained raptors and handlers in problem areas from March through July 2026, city officials say, with operations scheduled two to three days per week and a per-day rate reported at $640. The city’s press release sets an overall pilot cap of $35,000 and says the work will be funded within the existing Public Works budget; the city also indicated staff will track outcomes and report back to Council after the pilot.

“This pilot program allows us to address recurring nuisance bird issues through a humane, non-lethal method while closely tracking outcomes related to bird activity, cleanliness, stormwater conditions, and overall cost effectiveness,” said Steve Schuller, Oak Harbor Public Works Director, in the city’s Feb. 17 news release. The program is explicitly aimed at reducing nuisance gulls and seagulls that have affected public spaces and nearby businesses, and the move has been summarized bluntly in local coverage as: “Say goodbye to stolen french fries and bird dropping on cars.”

City materials name the contractor as Sky Patrol Bird Services, LLC; local reporting and program materials also use variants of the vendor name including Sky Bird Patrol Services LLC and Sky Bird Services LLC. Program imagery accompanying the coverage identifies the operator as Caitlyn O’Neill. A program photo caption reads: “Master falconer and owner of Sky Bird Services LLC, Caitlyn O’Neill, poses with her Haris’s hawk, Casca.”

The city says deployments will be tailored to observed bird activity and trends, placing falconers into sensitive locations to discourage congregation rather than capture or kill birds. Funding for the pilot will be split evenly across three Public Works streams - solid waste, stormwater, and streets - according to local budget notes, while the press release reiterated the pilot “will not exceed $35,000.” Local reporting provided the $640 per-day figure; the city has not published a day-by-day schedule showing how that rate maps to the $35,000 cap.

Council approval moved the pilot into place after a council vote that passed with a single abstention by Councilmember Bryan Stucky. City documents state staff will return to Council after the March–July operational window with a summary report to determine whether to continue or expand the program.

Members of the downtown business community have described persistent problems during nesting season. “I have a business down there,” said an owner who referred to Oak Harbor Cinemas. “I did not realize when I purchased that business in April how bad it was when it got to the nesting period, and the amount of complaints, the feces, the trash and the smell.”

For more information or media inquiries the city lists Communications Officer Magi Aguilar at maguilar@oakharbor.org and the City of Oak Harbor office at 865 SE Barrington Drive, Oak Harbor, WA 98277, phone 360-279-4500. Staff presentations related to the pilot are available in the city’s presentation materials for council briefings.