Gulls Disturbing Sleep and Attacking Residents
Urban gulls' early morning calls are disturbing the sleep of care home residents in Inverness, according to Highland Council. The local authority has reported that the birds also dive-bomb people, including children, in the streets and have been known to snatch food from people's hands.
Extent of the Gull Population
A new report from officials estimates there could be more than 700 gull nest sites across the city. In response, councillors have been asked to approve a new management plan aimed at reducing the number of incidents through "prevention, public awareness, and lawful control measures."
Support and Plan Development
Scotland's nature body, NatureScot, provided £20,000 to support the development of plans for Inverness and Nairn. Officials stated that the gull management plan would acknowledge the challenges posed by gulls while respecting the birds' protected status.
Problems Listed in the Report
The report outlined several problems caused by the gulls, including their early morning noise disturbing residents and aggressive behavior towards people in public spaces.
Management Strategies
The plan includes awareness campaigns to discourage people from feeding gulls and the installation of new public bins designed to be more secure against gulls pulling rubbish out. Other proposed measures involve using kites, flags, and audio deterrents to discourage gulls from nesting on rooftops.
Recent Incidents and Public Response
Last month, the public was encouraged to report gull attacks in Inverness following 16 incidents during a weekend-long Easter egg hunt in the city. Inverness Business Improvement District (BID) reported that the birds were repeatedly swooping at, and in some cases striking, members of the public, including children.
The organisation's Great Easter Egg Hunt event, held in the city centre, attracted dozens of families. Inverness BID has asked people to continue reporting incidents as part of efforts to identify problem "hotspots."
