Bangor City Council have called in a local Bird of Prey expert to help tackle the problem of aggressive seagulls in Bangor city centre.
The council are working with falconer Islwyn Jones, owner of Pen-Y-Bryn Falconry, who will visit Bangor on 28th and 29th April, with a second visit scheduled in May.
Seagulls are becoming an increasing problem in Bangor, particularly around the High Street, by nesting, scavenging for food and frequently swooping at people.
Islwyn has previously worked with ‘Elsa’ the Eagle Owl to tackle the seagull problem in Caernarfon and Llandudno and has visited Bangor once before.
Boasting a six foot wingspan, the sheer size of an Eagle Owl is usually enough of a deterrent for the pesky gulls. Using birds of prey acts as a deterrent to gulls visiting and nesting in the area and is a humane way of dealing with the problem, the seagulls aren’t attacked or hurt, simply scared away.
Islwyn said: “The birds are terrified of Elsa simply because of her size. Having her around in Bangor for the next few weeks should deter them from nesting and so there will be less chicks to feed in early summer.
“I don’t fly Elsa, just walk around with her, that’s enough of a deterrent, it’s a humane way to deal with the seagulls
“A visit every few weeks is usually enough, otherwise the seagulls will get used to her being around and will no longer see her as a threat.
“I also use the visits to educate the public about the birds of prey, Elsa has become quite a celebrity in Caernarfon.”
Islwyn also educates the public about what they can do to help: “If there’s no food waste around the seagulls won’t be there“ he added.
