Self-Conscious Seagulls: Staring At Them May Save Your Lunch, Study Finds
From StudyFinds.com: By John Anderer
If you’re at the beach and worry a seagull may be after your lunch, researchers say that the pesky birds are less likely to steal food while being watched. The study found it took herring seagulls an average of 21 seconds longer to approach a bag of chips placed on the ground while being stared at, compared to when a human looked away.
“Gulls learn really quickly, so if they manage to get food from humans once, they might look for more.” Dr. Boogert continues, “We therefore advise people to look around themselves and watch out for gulls approaching, as it seems that just watching the gulls will reduce the chance of them snatching your food.”
This Nog must be a genius! He actually found a way to get paid to sit on a beach watching seagulls eat potato chips. Brilliant.
Read the rest of the story here.
