New study shows googly eyes can stop birds stealing your hard-earned food

A new study has found that sticking googly eyes on food packaging could help deter seagulls from swooping in to steal your food.

Researchers from the University of Exeter tested the idea as a way to deter gulls, which are well known for snatching food, especially in coastal areas where large amounts of takeout are consumed.

The research, documented in The Conversation, found that gulls were less likely to approach and peck at food when packaging featured eye-like markings.

In experiments, birds “were slower to approach and less likely to peck” at containers with eye-like stimuli compared to plain ones, suggesting the effect can act as a deterrent.

The idea builds on existing research into animal behavior, where direct eye contact is often seen as a sign of threat. When gulls think they’re being watched, they appear more cautious about taking food.

Researchers said the trick was observed reducing the chance of seagulls stealing people’s food.

Previous work from the same university has shown similar results, with gulls taking longer to approach food when they were being observed by humans.

While the googly eye trick isn’t foolproof, researchers found it could still massively reduce the chances of food being stolen. In a study where 30 gulls were presented with a takeaway box with and without eyes, researchers found that over half the birds never attempted to approach the former.

The findings offer a simple and low-cost way to deal with a problem that’s become increasingly common in seaside towns, even if it’s not a guarantee that you won’t be forced to fight for your food.