Bright bunting along Aberdeen’s main thoroughfare has helped mark several recent special occasions by bringing colour to the city centre.
Lines have been festooned across Union Street to mark the Queen’s golden jubilee, Aberdeen FC competing in the Scottish Cup final last year and the first Great Aberdeen Run in August.
And it has now emerged that the decorations have come with an added benefit when it comes to the city’s constant battle against its increasingly volatile gull population.
The council has confirmed the bunting has “benefits” in preventing the feathered menaces from swooping on unsuspecting residents and stealing their food.
It is believed the flags deter the birds from descending into the streets, forcing them to remain perched high above.
Angela Joss, project manager for Aberdeen Inspired, revealed the findings during a recent presentation to members of the George Street community council.
But she said that, while the bunting had appeared to reduce gull attacks, it attracted complaints from city centre residents because of its tendency to “twang” during the night.
And she said the city centre improvement group was still regularly receiving complaints about the animals.
Mrs Joss said: “Every day in the summer I see someone being dive-bombed by these birds.
“The roof garden on the St Nicholas Centre is a particularly bad spot for it, and we are looking at various methods that can help tackle that.”
Earlier this week, it emerged that the root of the birds’ aggression could be the junk food which they pinch from passersby.
Rebecca Lakin, a PhD student at St Andrews University who believes gulls are “misunderstood”, is studying the effect of unhealthy food on them.
The chairman of the Aberdeen City Centre Community Council, Dustin Macdonald, suggested that residents could discourage gulls by being more careful with their food.
He said: “Bunting is good to see, and to hear it has an effect in preventing birds from swooping is a bonus.
“But the main thing is for people not to feed them or leave food lying around for them to eat.”
A council spokesman confirmed that the authority knew about bunting deterring birds from swooping, but said there were “no plans to increase the use of bunting for that purpose.”
