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species in San Diego (Least, Forster’s, Elegant, Royal, and Caspian) nest and roost on beaches.
Injuries are often caused by predators such as raptors, but coyotes and raccoons often invade beach
and lagoon nesting sites and cause adults to trample and injure young in their haste to escape.
Superficial wounds are treated by cleaning, disinfection, and the application of silver sulfadiazine
cream or other dressings. Large scalp wounds should be surgically repaired for fastest recovery.
Oil-based ointments are not recommended because they contaminate feathers and allow water to
penetrate the feathers.

Orthopedic­Injuries
Wing and leg fractures may be lightly splinted with appropriate material and Micropore paper tape
(3M) or a light stretch fabric wrap. Unlike in adult gulls with closed fractures of the humerus,
downy Western Gull chicks with closed near-midshaft fractures heal well when the wing is splinted
and wrapped, and they have a good prognosis for being able to fly post-recovery. Tern species with
wing fractures should be assessed on the basis of post-release flying ability because perfect flight is
necessary for foraging. See Duerr (2017) for information regarding management of fractures in
these species.
Both juvenile gulls and terns with unilateral foot trauma (over half the foot missing) or an
injured hock, knee, or hip joint may have a poor prognosis, depending on the nature of the
injury. As the chicks or fledglings grow, increasing weight is borne on the uninjured leg or foot,
and the healthy limb may develop pododermatitis or joint deformity. Early diagnosis and treat -
ment of injuries improves outcomes, as these species must be able to run and walk comfortably
as adults.
Because plumage has to be intact prior to release for waterproofing purposes, veterinarians
should be aware that sticky or adhesive wraps directly on feathers are contraindicated in these spe-
cies. The author prefers using nonadhesive materials such as Vetrap or Coban (3M) in a “figure of
8” format to wrap wings of larger species of terns and gulls. Small tern species’ wings can be
wrapped with light Micropore paper tape (3M), or narrow strips of nonadhesive materials. Do not
damage growing flight feathers with wraps.
Small tern species are particularly prone to pododermatitis, which starts as reddening and swell-
ing on the underside of the toes. This may occur when underweight or injured fledglings have to
be maintained indoors on fabric or paper toweling. Foot lesions are difficult to treat and often
result in systemic infections and death. Damp and wet conditions with debris (feces or dirt or
gravel) on flooring increase the chances of damage to delicate feet (see the section “Housing,” later
in this chapter, for suggested substrates).
In captivity, beak damage may occur in older juvenile gulls when housed temporarily in kennels
because they may abrade their beaks on the metal door. The lesions heal once the bird is placed in
an aviary setting. Gulls may also damage their feathers when placed in wire cages for even short
periods of time.

Aspergillosis
Young gulls and terns treated with antibiotics should also be medicated with an appropriate
antifungal medication, such as itraconazole (Janssen) at 15 mg/kg orally once daily to prevent
opportunistic fungal infections. Healthy chicks are not generally treated with these drugs
prophylactically.