Staring at seagulls makes them less likely to steal your food, study reveals

For many people, a visit to the seaside isn’t complete with a delicious bag of fish and chips.

But while eating your meal is usually better with a sea-breeze in your face, you’ll likely have several pesky seagulls eyeing up your meal too.

Now, scientists have revealed how to stop seagulls from stealing your food - and it’s good news if you’re good at staring contests.

Researchers from the University of Exeter have revealed that staring at seagulls makes them less likely to steal your chips.

Staring at seagulls makes them less likely to steal your food (University of Exeter)

In the study, the researchers put a bag of chips on the ground and tested how long it took herring gulls to approach when a human was watching them, compared to when the human looked away.

The results revealed that gulls took 21 seconds longer to approach food when a human was staring at them. 

Dr Neeltje Boogert, senior author of the study, said: “Gulls learn really quickly, so if they manage to get food from humans once, they might look for more.

“Our study took place in coastal towns in Cornwall, and especially now, during the summer holidays and beach barbecues, we are seeing more gulls looking for an easy meal.

“We therefore advise people to look around themselves and watch out for gulls approaching, as they often appear to take food from behind, catching people by surprise.

Seagulls are more likely to steal your chips if you look away from them (University of Exeter)

“It seems that just watching the gulls will reduce the chance of them snatching your food.”

Unsurprisingly, herring gulls are often considered a nuisance - especially in urban areas.

While previous attempts to manage this issue have focused on treating gulls as alike, the findings suggest that a better tactic may modifying our own behaviour around the seagulls.