Why drawing eyes on food packaging could stop seagulls stealing your chips
Why it matters: Simple visual cues could curb seagull food theft, improving public dining and reducing human-wildlife conflict.
- Herring gulls are singled out as particularly skilled food thieves in UK seaside towns like Falmouth.
- Increasingly urban lifestyles have transformed seagulls into experts at pilfering food from unsuspecting diners.
- Drawing eyes on food packaging is proposed as a simple, non-invasive method to deter gulls, offering a potential solution to a common nuisance.
Urbanized seagulls, especially herring gulls, have become adept at snatching food from outdoor diners in European seaside towns. A new study suggests that simply drawing eyes on food packaging could deter these opportunistic birds, potentially reducing food theft and improving human dining experiences.
