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Gulls Exhibit Urban Intelligence by Mimicking Human Food Choices

4/2/2026

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Gulls Adapt Behavior

Recent research shows herring gulls display urban intelligence by observing human behavior to locate food.
They track where people look and prefer food items that have been handled by humans.
A 2023 study shows gulls are more likely to choose food matching what a nearby human eats.
This finding shows gulls learn from human choices and adapt to urban environments.

Left

Researchers Combat Gulls

Researchers from the University of Exeter find painting eyes on takeaway boxes reduces gull thefts by up to 50%.
The study, conducted in Devon and Cornwall, shows herring gulls slow to approach boxes with eyes painted on them compared with plain boxes.
The effect persisted after repeated exposure.
The findings appear in Ecology and Evolution.

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Gulls Adapt Behavior

Recent research shows herring gulls display urban intelligence by observing human behavior to locate food.
They track where people look and prefer food items that have been handled by humans.
A 2023 study shows gulls are more likely to choose food matching what a nearby human eats.
This finding shows gulls learn from human choices and adapt to urban environments.

1 / 2