Overview
- Researchers played recordings of five men speaking or shouting the same phrase at equal volume to 61 herring gulls across nine Cornish towns.
- About 50% of gulls flew off within a minute when they heard shouting, compared with 15% during calm speech.
- Seventy percent stayed near the food when robin song was played, indicating little response to a non-human control.
- The authors report shouting as a simple, non-violent deterrent, complementing prior advice on eye contact and high-contrast clothing.
- The peer-reviewed findings in Biology Letters come as scientists note the species faces conservation concerns despite nuisance perceptions in towns.