The public has been asked not to feed or approach young seagulls in a warning by the DSPCA.
The animal welfare charity has been inundated with a "high volume" of calls from concerned members of the public after the young birds have been spotted on the ground being unable to fly when approached. A spokesperson for the DSPCA said: "If you approach the bird it will not fly away because it can not fly yet.
"This does not mean that the young bird is injured!" They added that the parents of the gulls keep an eye on their offspring from nearby roofs and trees to keep them safe from cats and foxes.
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They warned against feeding the birds as this "encourages other gulls to come and this can cause problems".
They said: "If you see one of these birds on the ground don't worry it is a natural progression towards flight.
"Our phone lines and social media platforms are inundated with concerns and queries for perfectly healthy young gulls and we are asking the public to please only contact us or bring it to a local vet if there are very clear signs of injuries."
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