Staring At Seagulls Protects Your Food At Jersey Shore, Study Finds

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Recently, there have been a number of people down the Jersey Shore complaining about having their food savagely taken by seagulls, but a new study may have given us a way to avoid being victims of those aggressive birds. According to the study, the secret to protecting your food at the shore from seagulls, is to stare at them.

Researchers from the University of Exeter found that the birds are more likely to scavenge for your food when they do not have extended eye contact with their victims.

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Researchers conducted the study by putting a bag of chips on the ground and tested how long it took for the seagulls to approach when they were being watched by a human.

On average, the gulls took 21 seconds longer to approach the food with a human staring at them.

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"Gulls are often seen as aggressive and willing to take food from humans, so it was interesting to find that most wouldn't even come near during our tests," said lead author Madeleine Goumas, of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

She also says that some of the birds might have had positive experiences of being fed by humans in the past, which is why they go to humans more frequently.

"But it seems that a couple of very bold gulls might ruin the reputation of the rest," Goumas said.

Researchers also advise shoregoers to look around them and watch out for gulls approaching, since they often catch people off guard and snatch food from behind.