Inverness city centre falcon patrols begin in bid to deter seagull nesting in busy parts of Highland capital
A falcon has begun flying over Inverness in a bid to spook nuisance seagulls and deter them from nesting above busy city centre streets.
The seabirds can become aggressive once they have chicks, and are known to divebomb passers-by who venture close to their nests - whether people are aware of them or not.
And in a bid to encourage the birds to nest away from busy thoroughfares, Inverness City Centre BID has employed the services of gyrfalcon hybrid Angel and her owner - Allan McKinnon of Highland Bird Control Services.
She will be flying over the city centre three times each week in March, and will increase her patrols to six per week once we get into April.
And four-year-old bird is already making her presence felt - having covered 14 miles in her most recent patrol around the city’s skies on Saturday.
A spokesperson for Inverness BID said: “Her presence will signal to the gulls that the area is occupied by a predator.
“Allan uses a lure to help Angel locate him, calling out to her with familiar sounds for guidance (see our story). She soars above the gulls and [on Saturday] 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!”
