The seagulls at the Sydney Opera House's dining area are unwanted dining companions, which prowl on the food of diners. As the spring approaches, seagulls gorge on plates or steal food out of visitors' hands when they sit outside to enjoy the sunshine.

According to Australian Museum ornithologist Dr. Richard Major, seagulls are classic scavengers with no sense of principles about their food source.

Recently this month, Hollywood pop singer Hilary Duff was under attack by a flock of seagulls while eating lunch Down Under earlier this month.

So, the management is testing various methods to restrain the out-of-control gulls from eating the food of customers who dine at the restaurant.

Seagulls are a native species, protected under the National Parks and Wildlife Act. So, trapping them is not an option.

The robo-bird bears an outstanding resemblance to the $16,000 mechanical falcons installed by Scotland's Network Rail. It was installed to scare gulls and pigeons away from Edinburgh's main train station.

A spokeswoman for the Opera House mentions that laser lighting and artificial predatory birds which cost $1,500 have also been considered by Fish Market to keep seagulls at bay. However, these methods offer a temporary fix as seagulls become accustomed to these eventually.

The spokeswoman said, "Our venue operators and the Opera House have trialled other additional measures on an ad-hoc basis, including kites that resembled owls and an audio deterrent. None, including the mock bird of prey, has proved very effective".

The management has installed signs in multiple languages advising the customers not to feed the birds and install garbage bins with spring-loaded lids. The other effective and discouraging way is to wave hands to shoo them away.