Gulls are bolder in southern Britain than in the north, study suggests

Tourists heading south for a staycation vacation should look up, as seagulls are more likely to steal their ice cream.

One study found that gulls in southern Britain, especially in the West Country, are bolder than those in the north.

The greater presence of vacationers, with their ice creams and fish and chips, may have made the birds less timid, because the chances of being able to snatch some food are greater.

Researchers at the Universities of Plymouth and Glasgow are running a project using an app called Gulls Eye, which asks people to record their interactions with gulls.

The first results show that the gulls are less nervous in the south, where they are willing to approach people.

In Brixham, the popular Devon fishing village on the so-called ‘English Riviera’, seagulls come within 11.8 meters (less than 40 feet) of people.

In Plymouth, where the city offers even more fast food options, seagulls come within an average distance of 40 feet.

But further north, in Glasgow, they stay twice as far, on average, more than 80 feet, or 25 meters, from people.

In Shetland this increases to almost 74 metres, over 240 feet.

Dr Ruedi Nager, a seabird researcher at the University of Glasgow, who provided the snapshot results from across the UK, said: “There seems to be a geographical difference in how bold gulls are.”

‘They are more willing to approach people in the south and more reluctant in the north.

‘In the south there may be more empanadas and fish and chips, so there is more profit for the seagulls.

“But there’s also been a decline in fishing off the south coast, so gulls aren’t able to get as much food from fishing discards as they used to.”

In Brixham, pictured here, the popular Devon fishing village on the so-called ‘English Riviera’, seagulls come within 11.8 metres, less than 40 feet, of people.

The Gulls Eye project involves researchers who have previously shown that staring at a gull will cause it to fly away.

But the Gulls Eye Project aims to make people more understanding of gulls, who are often opportunistic because they are hungry.

The Gulls Eye app asks people to write down each time they see a gull and calculate how far away it is in bus lengths, with a length of about 10 meters, or 33 feet.

So far the app is being used by people in Brixham, Plymouth, Birmingham, Glasgow and Shetland.

The Gulls Eye Project app can be found on the University of Glasgow website at www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/gullseye/.

Dr Naedi said: ‘The presence of human food triggers changes in the gulls’ behaviour.

“Towns and cities are not that different from one of their natural feeding habitats, where gulls keep watch from a high place and are careful about wasting food.

“This change in behavior can increase anxiety and fear in humans, but many seagulls still keep their distance, even though people and seagulls are becoming more tolerant of each other over time – you see people sitting eating at outdoor tables with a seagull right above them.” the table next to them.

“Next, we want to understand if they behave differently among people who are more or less welcoming.”