By Alex
Like the notorious crow, seagulls—primarily coastal dwellers—have adapted remarkably well to urban life, often causing trouble or even posing threats. For instance, using their impressive flying skills, they brazenly snatch food from people’s hands from behind. Recently, British biologists published a research report indicating that deterring seagulls from stealing food is simple: just maintain direct eye contact with them.
▲(Photo by ktvu2 @IG)
The researchers used a bag of chips as bait. They found that nearly two-thirds of the 74 wild seagulls observed would not approach food when humans were nearby. Of the remaining one-third of more daring seagulls, most would immediately leave upon noticing they were being stared at. Only one seagull lingered for five minutes waiting for a chance to “ambush” and eventually spent six seconds successfully stealing the food.
Researchers estimate that seagulls have learned from past experiences that humans who make eye contact with them are likely to shoo them away, so they remain highly vigilant.
▲(Photo by gabrielito.guia @IG)
Many netizens dismissed the research findings: “Can’t all birds be scared off by waving your hands and making eye contact?” “I don’t think this is an issue because I never eat while walking.” “How do you use eye contact to stop them when they swoop in from behind to snatch your food?”
In fact, many locals and tourists use snacks like chips and cookies to attract seagulls, aiming to capture photos of the birds snatching food from their hands or flying in flocks nearby. With few natural predators and limited legal protection, seagulls have increasingly swarmed coastal dining areas in recent years, looking for opportunities to snatch food from restaurant patrons, causing significant disturbances. There have been reports of people being scratched by seagulls near the seaside in London, UK, and around the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
▲(Photo by ayajulia1023 @IG)
▲(Photo by Lucas Sankey @Unsplash)
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Source: Mail Online