Gull advice

Our towns and villages are becoming attractive to gulls who feed and rear their young.

We urge people to stop feeding gulls as the expert view is that these birds are becoming scavengers and we are taking them away from natural feeding habits. Feeding the gulls is putting both the public and other bird populations at risk.

Litter is usually single items of waste that are not put in a proper waste bin and dropped on the ground in an open public space instead. Littering includes food waste, so dropping food to feed the birds can be considered littering too.

You can help stop attracting gulls by:

• avoiding giving young children loose food like crisps or chips if you notice a large number of gulls around
• always picking up any litter, as rubbish on the ground will always attract gulls
• disposing of litter in gull-proof litter bins rather than leaving it in bags or crates of rubbish where gulls can access the food

Gull-proof bins are easily acquired, cheap and very effective - some councils have also started using hessian bags, as gulls can't peck through these to get to food waste.

Dropping litter is a criminal offence

Dropping litter is a criminal offence and subject to a maximum fine of £2,500.

Both the Council and Police Scotland have the authority to prosecute litterers and can issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) of £80.

Dropped food that is left habitually at a location can also attract other vermin to an area so should be avoided at all costs as mice and rats will stay near a reliable food source and make it home.

Snatching food is a behaviour that gulls have learnt, and it's reinforced every time they're fed by the public. Gulls get used to being fed in certain places at certain times and they will return to that location to be fed.

This can have a knock-on effect of making the gulls aggressive for the food that is available and may cause them to swoop on people.

Try to avoid feeding the gulls by:

• keeping your food to yourself
• using re-sealable food containers or something that will close, where possible

During the breeding season the birds can also become aggressive if they feel threatened.

How to stop gulls from nesting and breeding

Gulls are opportunistic and will scavenge waste bins to look for food. It’s important to be aware that gulls are attracted to areas where food is plentiful.

To help control this:

• don’t feed gulls at home or areas such as parks and other open spaces
• ensure litter and other food waste is properly stored and disposed of using the bins provided
• put waste, particularly food waste, out for collection on the day of collection and not the night before and secure your food waste caddy

Authorised officers of East Ayrshire Council have the power to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) charge as an alternative to prosecution for environmental offences such as littering and accumulations of waste that attract vermin.

Find out more about Fixed Penalty Notices for environmental crimes.

Facts about the behaviour of gulls:

• Once a gull has a safe nest and a food source, they will nest and breed
• Breeding pairs may mate for life and once they have found their forever nest base, they will return every year to that same spot
• Gulls can live up to 30 years or more, so if they are nesting on a roof that could be up to 30 years of concern to a property and owner
• Gulls have a collective intelligence and if a good nest location is found, they will let other gulls know and build a community
• Gulls can even synchronise nesting so eggs hatch at the same time and chicks can be for cared together
• From September to January gulls will have left the nesting site for their overwintering locations:
  • February: Gulls start to return to the UK from their overwintering locations
  • March to April: Nesting spots found, and first eggs are laid
  • May to June: Main period of incubation, the adults will take turns on the nest for about 28 days before chicks hatch and then the parents jointly care for their young – during this period the gulls can get quite aggressive as they protect their young
  • July to August: Chicks will fledge, and they will start to leave their nesting colonies

Gulls can cause damage to properties, so owners may wish to undertake works to proof their buildings to ensure that their properties are protected and maintained.

Birds can damage property by:

• disturbing roof tiles
• blocking gutters, gas flues and chimneys
• clogging drains and ventilation systems

Bird nests can look unsightly, and the bird droppings can accelerate the deterioration of buildings.

The Environmental Health Service cannot require building owners to undertake proofing works to prevent issues related to public safety such as swooping and aggressive behaviour.

Individual property owners have responsibility for their own buildings and can discourage gulls from nesting by erecting deterrent devices on chimney heads and flat roof areas. Deterrent methods include:

• removal of old nesting materials to discourage return
• fitting long spikes to places like chimney stacks
• fitting short spikes to dormer roofs
• fitting wires or nets to prevent gulls landing
• reflectors which would be put on smaller roofs
• netting over the roof which would benefit a larger roof
• wire meshing over defects or nesting areas

September to January is the best time of year to prepare your property for annual gull roosting as gulls will have left the nesting site for their overwintering locations.

Find a Trusted Trader who can conduct checks on your roof and offer you the most appropriate service for your property at East Ayrshire Trusted Trader.

Do not feed the gulls or drop food scraps. Gulls are scavengers and discarded food encourages the gulls to stay within close proximity to the source of the food.

Dropping or leaving food waste to feed gulls may be considered littering and you will be liable to pay an £80 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).

Food waste also attracts other vermin to an area, which will feed on scraps left behind by the birds. Environmental Health can take enforcement action where necessary to require you to stop leaving food out in this manner to prevent vermin issues.

On behalf of Housing Services and Facilities Management, Environmental Health manage a contract for gull issues.

This is a service offered to Council tenants and managers of Council buildings to ensure we meet our corporate responsibility as a property owner and to protect our property portfolio from damage. The provision of this service to any Council property is recharged.

Licence system

Our contractor will disperse gulls using hawks or equipment such as bird scaring devices from Council owned buildings. Our contractor may apply for an individual licence issued under the provisions of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 by NatureScot, but only as a last resort where all other options are exhausted.

The law provides an individual licence system administered by NatureScot - Birds: Licences, which allows property owners to take action against gulls nesting on buildings by destroying nests or eggs. The licence system can only be used for the purpose of preserving public health and safety and preventing the spread of disease and is specifically for the control of herring, great black-backed and lesser black-backed gulls.

The contract relates solely to Council owned properties, it does not extend to private properties including business premises and houses. Work required to privately owned properties is the responsibility of the property owner. A property owner requiring proofing or other works would need to engage and pay for their own contractor.