Why Are Seagulls So Interested in Your Food?

It's a common sight at the beach or on the boardwalk. Frantic seagulls -- used to being fed scraps -- descend on a hapless vacationer eating lunch, trying to snag some of his or her food.

What's the big attraction? Certainly, the birds find plenty of fish and other prey to dine on. It turns out that the food might not be particularly special, but it becomes special after a person handles it.

In a recent study, researchers offered pancakes to some herring gulls in Cornwall, England. The birds had their pick between pancakes that had been overtly handled by a human and those that had not. Of the 24 gulls that took some bites, 79 percent (19 birds) opted for the pancakes they had seen being touched.

The scientists concluded that seabirds have become accustomed to associating people with easy dining. "Our study shows that cues from humans may play an important part in the way gulls find food, and could partly explain why gulls have been successful in colonizing urban areas," said lead author Madeleine Goumas of Exeter University.

Such colonization has become irksome to many residents, who must clean up after the birds. Tony Whitehead, of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said the study reinforced the need to end arbitrary feeding. "If we can reduce the conflict we can improve the image of these birds," he said.

Some insights into seagulls: