Staring at a seagull will stop it from stealing your food
Scientists put a bag of chips on the ground to see how long beforeStaring seagulls in the eye could stop the pesky birds from snatching food from your handstook 21 seconds longer to pounce with people watching than when they weren’t.By keeping an eye on them people could save their lunchand willing to take food from humans. By keeping an eye on them people could save their lunch, while reducing negative encounters.
Her team tried to test 74 birds on the Cornish coast. Most flew away, with just 27 approaching the food. The study, published in the Royal Society’s Biology Letters, focused on the 19 that completed both the “looking at” and “looking away” tests. They also foundMadeleine said: “Some wouldn’t touch the food. Others didn’t seem to notice that a human was staring at them.“Some gulls might have had positive experiences of being fed in the past. But it seems a couple of very bold ones might ruin the reputation of the rest.”is expensive and ineffective and ignores specific behaviour.
Senior author Dr Neeltje Boogert added: “Gulls learn quickly, so if they get food from humans once, they might look for more.
The species is declining rapidly in the UK — down 60 per cent between 1969 and 2015, with plastic pollution blamed. But numbers are up in urban areas.Researchers will now investigate how human foods affects gulls and chicks in the long term.GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL
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