Advice on how to deal with gulls has been issued to help Scots and visitors deal with them.
Numbers of herring gulls and lesser black-backed gulls have grown all over the country, and some residents and visitors regard them as a nuisance. At the same time, numbers of herring gulls have suffered a massive population decline in their natural habitat of coastal grasslands.
Some of the problems associated with gulls in urban areas include noise, damage to property, and safety. Every year, Aberdeen City Councils receive dozens of complaints regarding all these issues and in 2018, the figure was 195 compared to 176 in 2014.
It should be emphasised Aberdeen City Council’s environmental health service has no statutory powers to take action against the gulls and can only give advice to members of the public as to how they can help deal with the problem.
The nuisance from the gulls lasts mainly from March until September while they are nesting in roofs although there are increasing numbers choosing to remain in the city all year round. Gulls are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which means it is illegal to capture, injure or destroy any wild bird, or interfere with its nest or eggs, unless you have a licence.
An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: ‘Life has become very easy for the urban gulls in Aberdeen due to the discarding of unwanted food and containers, particularly in the city centre, and people deliberately feeding them.
‘Our environmental health service has no statutory powers to take action against the gulls and the key to reducing gull numbers lies in reducing the ability to breed and limiting the supply of food.
‘In addition, too much human food is not good for them and can lead to them attacking people to steal food. Their natural diet is based on shellfish, other small sea creatures, earth worms, bird’s eggs and insects
‘We’d encourage people to heed the advice and play their part particularly not to feed the birds.’
Advice for residents how they can help includes:
- Do not feed gulls on streets and gardens or drop food scraps, as gulls are scavengers and discarded food encourages the gulls to stay within close proximity to the food source. Dispose of food waste in a responsible manner;
- Property owners can discourage gulls from nesting by erecting deterrent devices on chimney heads and flat roof areas such as spikes and nets;
- You can arrange for an appropriately licenced pest control company to oil or pierce eggs to prevent hatching, or have the nest and eggs removed.
The licence system can only be used for the purpose of preserving public health, public safety and preventing the spread of disease and is specifically for the control of herring, great black backed gulls and lesser black backed gulls. If action is taken for any other reason, or if another species of gull is targeted, then an offence has been committed.
Businesses with netting on their roofs to discourage birds should be aware the netting should be checked daily for any gaps or entangled birds. They should have a way of releasing the birds, without calling the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
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