Damage Caused by Seagulls

November 23, 2015

We have a customer who is currently experiencing damage to a warehouse and the boats being housed inside it due to seagulls pecking at the roof. The pecking is causing holes in the roof and rust to land on the customer's boats being stored inside.

A claim has not been submitted yet but our assumption is the likely response will be that of no coverage due to the “infestation or nesting of birds” exclusionary language in the policy.

Ohio Subscriber

While we have not run across similar claims scenarios, you are correct that the exclusion for nesting or infestation of birds would apply. Dictionary.com defines “infest” as “to live in or overrun to an unwanted degree or in a troublesome manner,” which fits the seagull problem you describe.

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