Dr. Neeltje Boogert, a researcher at the Center for Ecology and Conservation at Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall, has accomplished a really thrilling breakthrough. She has discovered an incredibly innovative way of preventing Herring gulls from nicking food. In her most recent study published today in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters, the scientists led by Dr. Boogert closely observed the behavior of 61 Herring gulls. Their research in nine adjacent coastal communities in Cornwall found that yelling at these feathered intruders can scare them off much better than a soothing tone. Just play the angry constituent card and watch them squirm!
The experiments found that almost half of the Herring gulls abandoned their nest site upon hearing the recorded shouts. Then they were emptying the space in under a minute! Just 15% of those who were exposed to a relaxed tone of speech responded similarly. The rest of the gulls, even though they did not take to the air, moved away from the bait, showing that they continued to sense danger. This research sheds light on the gulls’ sensitivity to the acoustic characteristics of human voices.
Research Methodology
The study included audio tailored to the individual recordings of five different male volunteers. Each of them took the same words and recited it first in a whisper, then a yell. To level the playing field, all recordings were equalized to the same loudness. This modification allowed scientists to assess how the gulls noticed variations in voice modulation.
Here’s how Dr. Boogert described the main findings in very understandable terms. Shouting typically creates fear through the unexpected sound of an explosion, he explained. In this instance, everything was equal in sound—it was just the delivery of the language that created terrorism. This small difference in vocal delivery was critical to how we learned to get the best data on how Herring gulls respond to human approaches.
Perhaps even more intriguingly, the experiment included a control scenario in which a robin song was played. Their findings showed that 70% of Herring gulls remained in proximity to the food during the first half of the experiment. This action underscores their contrasting responses to different kinds of noises.
Implications of Findings
This study has important consequences for both understanding and mitigating Herring gull behavior. This is particularly critical in urban and coastal communities, where food theft is especially common. Dr. Boogert explains that yelling works as a very good deterrent for these birds. She told us that talking will stop a seagull in its tracks when it’s about to eat your lunch. Yelling is much more effective to cause them to soar away.
In addition, this study upends long-held notions about gulls and their treatment of people. Dr Boogert argues that most gulls aren’t naturally audacious enough to snatch food from people. “Most gulls aren’t bold enough to steal food from a person. I think they’ve become quite vilified,” she remarked.
Additionally, Dr. Boogert highlighted the critical need for humane methods for managing Herring gull populations. She stated, “What we don’t want is people injuring them. They are a species of conservation concern, and this experiment shows there are peaceful ways to deter them that don’t involve physical contact.”