LISTEN: Plea To Tackle Urban Seagulls In Moray
The council is calling on locals to make urban areas unattractive for nesting birds.
An appeal has gone out from Moray Council asking the public to make built-up areas less attractive to nesting gulls.
It follows a large number of complaints last summer about gulls swooping to steal food from people in the street and aggressively defending their unfledged chicks.
Gulls - particularly herring gulls - have become an increasing nuisance in urban areas after abandoning their traditional breeding sites on seaside cliffs to take advantage of easy pickings in towns and villages where they feed on discarded food and litter.
Older buildings in built-up areas also tend to have convenient nest sites such as ledges and flat roofs.
Families living in urban areas also complain of the birds' droppings and the noise of their squawking.
With the breeding season approaching once again, Moray Council is urging people to deter gulls by cutting off their food supply.
MFR Reporter Derek Ferguson speaks to Jim Grant, from Moray Council, about the seagull problem...
"In an attempt to ensure that the problems we experienced last summer do not recur, we are looking for public support and asking people not to feed gulls, either directly or indirectly," said a spokesman.
"Care should be taken to dispose of food waste properly and that includes the remnants of takeaway meals, which seem to be a favourite for gulls.
"Our community wardens will also investigate where there is evidence that people are deliberately feedings gulls and we would urge people to report any neighbours they suspect of putting out food for gulls."
Where there are problems with gulls nesting on buildings, action can be taken under a general licence which is available from the Scottish Government to authorised person, including the owner or occupier of a building.
While local authorities such as Moray Council can take steps to deter gulls from their own buildings, they are not responsible for doing so in respect of other buildings nor do they have the power to order property owners or occupiers to take action.