LONDON (AP) - Researchers have discovered that shouting is a more effective way to deter seagulls from stealing food compared to simply speaking in a human voice. This finding emerged from a study focused on European herring gulls, which are known for their tendency to pilfer food in coastal areas of England. The research was conducted by Neeltje Boogert at the University of Exeter’s Center for Ecology and Conservation, situated in Cornwall.
The experiment involved placing fries in Tupperware boxes in various towns along the southwest coast of England. The researchers tested the gulls’ reactions to different audio recordings, including the sound of a robin’s song, a male voice saying, “No, stay away, that’s my food,” and a version of the same message delivered in a shout. This approach was designed to assess the impact of vocal intensity on the birds' behavior.
Results indicated that while a normal speaking voice might stop gulls momentarily, a shouting voice was significantly more effective in making them fly away. The gulls exhibited signs of vigilance upon hearing a human voice, showing reduced pecking behavior and a quicker exit compared to when they heard birdsong. Moreover, the gulls were more likely to walk away when they heard a normal voice, but they would take flight when the same message was shouted, suggesting that they could perceive differences in vocal delivery.
Boogert explained that even though shouting is typically a loud noise that may incite fear, the study uniquely controlled the volume to demonstrate that it was the manner of speech, rather than the loudness alone, that influenced the gulls' reactions. “It seems that gulls pay attention to the way we say things, which we don’t think has been seen before in any wild species," she noted.
This research adds to previous findings that gulls can be warded off through direct approaches or eye contact, and that their fear increases with the loudness of sounds. The outcomes of the study, which has been published in the peer-reviewed journal Biology Letters, hold practical implications for managing interactions with gulls in urban areas, particularly in the U.K., where the species is considered a conservation concern.
The decision to use male voices in the experiment was based on prior observations that men tend to commit the most offenses against wildlife. The researchers acknowledged that further studies could explore the responses of gulls to female voices, hypothesizing that these birds might be capable of distinguishing between male and female vocalizations and may exhibit different levels of fear depending on the gender of the voice.
This groundbreaking study sheds light on animal behavior and human-animal interactions, emphasizing the importance of non-aggressive strategies in dealing with wildlife, particularly in environments where human and wildlife encounters are common.
