Seagulls favour food that has been handled by humans, new research shows.
Herring gulls were presented with two identical food items – one of which they had seen a human holding.
The gulls pecked more often at the handled food, suggesting they use human actions when deciding what to eat.
The University of Exeter study follows previous research which found that staring at seagulls makes them less likely to steal food.
“UK herring gull numbers are declining, but urban populations have increased,” said lead author Madeleine Goumas, of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall.
“Despite the fact they’re a common sight in many towns, little is known about urban gull behaviour.
“We wanted to find out if gulls are simply attracted by the sight of food, or if people’s actions can draw gulls’ attention towards an item.
Read more at University Of Exeter