Shout to Scare Off Seagulls, Study Finds

A recent study conducted by researchers aimed to find effective ways to prevent seagulls from stealing food in coastal areas. The experiment involved placing food in containers along the southwest coast of England and observing how seagulls reacted to different sounds.

The researchers tested the seagulls' responses to three types of audio: a robin's song, a male voice speaking, and a male voice shouting. They discovered that while human voices generally made the seagulls more cautious, shouting was particularly effective in making them fly away.

Interestingly, the volume of the sounds was kept constant, suggesting that seagulls can distinguish between speaking and shouting based on the acoustic properties of the vocalization. This finding indicates that seagulls pay attention to how words are said, which is a novel observation in wild species.

The study's results provide a humane method for people to protect their food from seagulls without causing harm to these birds, which are a species of conservation concern in the UK.