Elgin has 'unusually high' density of resident gulls, survey finds

Elgin has an “unusually high density of resident gulls”, according to a new survey.

A report has been published by the Elgin Community Council detailing the results of an urban gull survey that was carried out in May across eight locations within the town.

The data was gathered with the help of a local drone operator, Jonathan Heald, who was also the report’s author.

He assessed the various locations and found a total of 1,051 seagull nests and 2,566 adult gulls, concluding the town has an “unusually high density of resident gulls” compared to other urban centres.

Elgin Community Council wanted to conduct the survey following “numerous” complaints from residents about the negative impact of the birds in 2025 and the lack of information about the town’s seagull population.

The eight locations that were assessed contained a mix of urban housing, schools and the town centre – resulting in more than 1,300 images being analysed.

In order to count the number of gulls, the report states that early morning was the best time as the birds tended to be “static”. Any in-flight were not counted unless it was obvious they were associated with the nest.

The north of the town centre had the largest number of gulls with 418 identified, while Edgar Road was second with 331 gulls.

An overall population density of urban gulls in Elgin was also given, with an estimate of 570 gulls per square kilometre.