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Gyrfalcon swoops into Inverness to scare gulls

Andrew Thomson
BBC Scotland News
Getty Images Close up of a gyrfalcon's face. The bird of prey has a curved beak that comes to a sharp point and its large black eyes are very striking against its white plumage. Getty Images
The gyrfalcon is being used as part of efforts to scare off gulls

A bird of prey will be patrolling the skies above Inverness over the coming weeks to try to scare away gulls.

Inverness Business Improvement District (Bid) has arranged for Angel, a four-year-old gyrfalcon, to fly over the city centre three times a week until April.

The flights will then increase to six per week as peak nesting season approaches.

Angel, who is owned by Allan MacKinnon of Highland Bird Control Services, began work on Saturday and has already covered 14 miles on her patrols.

Inverness Bid said gulls regarded falcons as a natural predator and could be scared off by their presence alone.

They are perceived as a threat and cause the gulls to seek a safer location.

The organisation said Mr MacKinnon used a lure and calls to guide Angel on her flights.

It added: "She soars above the gulls and yesterday she covered 14 miles.

"After her flights, she is given a treat of quail from Allan which helps her identify to return to him.

"We look forward to sharing updates on Angel's adventures over the coming weeks."

A similar scheme was used in Dumfries more than a decade ago and found it affected gull behaviour but that the impact reduced over time and was better when used in conjunction with other methods.

Inverness BID A falconer is holding out his arm as a mottled black and white gyrfalcon sits on his glove looking out across the Inverness skyline. Inverness BID
Angel the gyrfalcon has already begun patrolling Inverness to scare away gulls

In January, Highland Council set out a number of measures and activities for up to the end of March with the aim of stopping gulls becoming a problem.

They included:

  • Removing old nesting material
  • Using a trained falcon between February and March to scare away gulls
  • Adopting a practice from East Ayrshire of using promotional material and local radio to spread a message not to feed gulls
  • Using bird scaring devices such as spikes and reflective material to discourage gulls from nesting on roofs

Gulls, like all wild birds, have long been protected by law.

Bird flu

However, last February, Scotland's nature agency NatureScot, made the rules around controlling gulls stricter.

Gulls, along with other sea birds, have been falling in numbers.

RSPB says the UK's gull population has declined by more than 60% since 1970, with overfishing and climate change among the suspected causes.

Bird flu has also claimed thousands of sea birds, including gulls.

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