Dr Michelle Dickinson: nanotechnologist explains why lone seagulls are less likely to steal food

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

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4d ago 3:49

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If you've ever had your lunch snatched by a seagull, you’re not alone. However, new research published in the journal Royal Society Open Science suggests that your chips might be safer than you think - if there is only one gull hanging around.

Scientists have discovered that lone seagulls are far more cautious than those in a group. This behaviour is driven by a trait called neophobia, which means fear of the unknown. In a recent study by researchers at Ghent University, herring gulls were put to the test to see how brave they were when unfamiliar objects were placed near their food.

They found that when on their own, the gulls hesitated nearly three times longer to approach food than when they were in a group. Some lone gulls wouldn’t go near the food at all. But once in a flock, their confidence soared. The birds not only approached the food faster, they also spent more time hanging around it, even with strange objects nearby.

The researchers concluded that being in a group helps gulls feel safer, making them more willing to take risks - like swooping in for your lunch.

So, next time you spot a gull eyeing up your snack, count how many friends it has to calculate your risks.

A previous study found that gulls prefer food they’ve seen humans handle, so clutching your sandwich tightly might actually make it more appealing to a gull, and research from the University of Exeter found that gulls take much longer to approach food if they feel watched, so giving a seagull a good hard stare might protect your food for long enough for another bite.

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