Hold On Tight to That Burger at the Beach

Lunch by the British seaside comes with a warning: Watch out for gulls. These birds have made a name for themselves as opportunistic snack thieves, swooping in on everything from churros and burgers to discarded festival leftovers. Experts say gulls' ability to digest just about anything has been giving them a leg up in urban areas, where they're increasingly swapping traditional marine fare for human junk food, per the Wall Street Journal.

Urban gull expert Peter Rock notes that gulls have adapted to city life by learning human routines, like school schedules and garbage truck routes. Gulls are sharp-eyed enough to recognize when people are about to eat, using it as a cue to strike. While the gulls' switch to street food has meant smaller eggs and fewer chicks overall, the abundance of high-protein scraps, like meat, may be helping some young gulls survive. Junk food is less likely than wild fish to carry parasites, researchers note.

Some scientists are studying these eating habits with the hope of halting population declines in the wild, a trend blamed on overfishing and habitat loss. In the meantime, coastal towns and businesses have tried everything to keep the birds at bay, with mixed results as the birds adapt to new deterrents—from sticking googly eyes on takeout boxes to hiring people in raptor costumes to scare the birds away. One researcher says that gulls don't like certain patterns, like high-contrast stripes, so buying food items in the flashiest-looking packages possible could help as well, per the Daily Record.

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Other methods include playing loud noises, handing out water guns to tourists, and staring hard at the gulls—they're less likely to swipe your fries if you've got your gaze trained on them. It's also wise to be especially wary if you see a pack of seagulls headed your way: The Times of London notes that gulls are less likely to converge upon your picnic basket when they're solo than when they come strutting toward you in a "battalion." (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)