Gulls swooping in to snatch a fry from your takeout box when you’re not looking at the beach is a common occurrence, but a pair of drawn eyes may help keep the birds away. New research on European herring gulls (Larus argentatus) put so-called “eyespots” to the test, exploring if the birds are deterred by the illusion of being watched. Individual gulls responded differently to the eyespots. Approximately 50% of the birds never approached boxes with eyespots. The other 50% rushed and pecked the takeout boxes as fast as they did when presented with boxes without eyes. The study found no difference in the gulls’ reaction to round or square eyespots. The researchers hypothesize that it may not be the illusion of eyes that deters the gulls, but the stark contrast itself—black-and-white patterns appear to drive the birds’ aversion more than resemblance to a watchful gaze. Although their conclusions suggest that there is not a one-size-fits-all fix to gulls snatching food, the eyespots may help mitigate some of the gull-human conflict.
