They are a menace that blight communities and have even sparked debate in parliament.
Now, the public have been warned to be vigilant after seagulls launched a ‘co-ordinated’ attack on revellers at an Easter Egg hunt in Inverness.
Families at the city centre event scrambled for cover as the birds circled over them before ‘swooping’ at the crowds.
A total of 16 gull-related incidents were witnessed throughout the day, according to organisers Organisers Inverness Business Improvement District (BID).
BID ambassador, Janice Worthing, described the ambush as ‘frequent and co-ordinated behaviour from adult gulls.’
She said the birds watch ‘for opportunities,’ then call in others before ‘repeatedly swooping at and, in some cases, striking members of the public, including young children.’
And as gull breeding season has begun, she offered a stark warning: ‘We expect conflict and, in some cases, injuries.
‘Gulls are really quick and can strike suddenly and decisively.’
The public have been warned to be vigilant after seagulls launched a ‘co-ordinated’ attack on revellers at an Easter Egg hunt in Inverness
Last year, the gull menace was raised at Holyrood with former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross demanding an audit of the gull population in coastal communities
The incident comes as Highland Council has devised a new reporting tool for the public to report encounters with aggressive seagulls with a date, location and description of incidents.
The information is intended to ‘help support future gull management programmes.’
However, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, it is illegal to capture, injure or destroy any wild bird, or to damage or disturb nests or eggs.
Speaking to STV News, a council spokesperson said the data will help ‘determine whether patterns or hotspots exist,’ adding the information will be used to decipher whether ‘certain impacts are more prevalent.’
They cited aggressive behaviour relating to ‘chick protection’ or behaviours associated with ‘food scavenging’ as areas that will be monitored.
They said: ‘As different behaviours require different mitigation approaches, meaningful and reliable data will support a targeted and proportionate approach to advising on appropriate mitigation measures to reduce negative interactions between gulls and people.’
Last year the gull menace was raised at Holyrood with former Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross demanding an audit of the gull population in coastal communities.
It followed reports of a woman in Elgin falling and breaking her leg after an attacked by a gull and a ten-year-old in Inverness being hospitalised.
However, the bid was rejected on the basis that it was too costly at almost £3million.
Mr Ross told MSPs that NatureScot – the Scottish Government’s nature and wildlife quango – had advised attendees at a private seagull summit to deter birds by waving their arms above their heads while walking.
The organisation also proposed drawing googly eyes on takeaway boxes as a deterrent because ‘birds do not like being stared at.’