In their study, the team stuck googly eyes on takeaway food boxes to test whether it would affect their appeal to hungry gulls. However, the University of Exeter team were inspired to look at the impact of googly eyes, after finding that making eye contact with birds stops them swooping. Surprisingly, the googly eyes proved effective. Next, the team set out to understand whether the gulls would, over time, work out that the googly eyes weren't really threatening. The news comes shortly after research revealed that simply shouting at birds can also stop them from stealing your food.

Source: Daily Mail March 20, 2026 14:33 UTC