A new study has shown the pesky birds are more likely to peck at food if they see a human holding it first, solving the mystery of why they always seem to swoop in just as you’re enjoying a beachside bite.
Researchers at the University of Exeter came to this theory by approaching individual gulls and placing two buckets on the ground in front of them, each covering a wrapped flapjack (an English bikkie).
The buckets were then removed, and the researcher picked up one of the flapjacks, handled it for 20 seconds, and then put it back down on the ground.
Of the 38 gulls were tested, 24 pecked at one of the flapjacks with 19 (79%) choosing the one that had been handled.
To make sure the birds weren’t just responding to human handling alone, the experiment was repeated with two non-food items – sponges that were cut into the same size and shape as the flapjacks.
Here, they picked at the handled and unhandled sponges equally – suggesting it really was the handling that makes the gulls home in on the food.
The researchers say the birds tends to associate humans with an easy meal so the easiest way to avoid losing your lunch is to make sure your food waste ends up in the bin – and not encourage the birds by feeding them (good luck with telling our tourists that).
There’s also another precaution you can take.
A previous study has shown that staring at seagulls makes them less likely to make off with your meal.
So, you can have your potato scallop and eat it too – just don’t break eye contact.
