UnEarth Magazine.

Words by Maisie Wilkinson, Art by Leela Stoede.

We probably do not associate St Andrews with the wild. In fact, when asked to think about wildlife in St Andrews we may comment upon its apparent absence. However, with a little more thought, we may consider the creatures wandering the links – and no, I am not referring to the tourists or the golfers. Instead, I mean those animals advertised in the conservation brochures: the Brown Hares; the weasels and foxes; the Roe Deer; the Sea Eagles; and the harbour seals.  

One character is notably absent from this list. It is perhaps unsurprising; according to the Mail Online the infamous seagulls are one of the most hated animals in the UK. That said, as I would probably trust a seagull to guard my chips more than I would trust the Mail Online to provide reliable information, I decided to do my own research. Although not the most academically rigorous method I began by asking some of my close friends and family what their thoughts on seagulls were.  

The results were astoundingly negative, with one person remarking that ‘the only good seagull is a dead seagull.’ I do apologise, if there are any seagulls or seagull apologists reading this, as I did think this a little extreme. That said, this clearly demonstrates the sentiment of the comments I received. I would share some more of the results here, but I will have to abstain lest I cause further offence.  

I fully understand this animosity, I have my own personal, longstanding grievances with these vexatious birds. It began when I was seven; a small innocent child on a geography field trip in Aberystwyth, devouring a rapidly melting ice-cream. The sun was in the sky, and nothing could be wrong with the world. Or so I thought, until my ice-cream was brutally snatched from my grasp by a giant swooping monstrosity. Since then, my resentment has only grown. What is particularly despicable is that they seem to maliciously target children. And what’s more, I see them everywhere as they lurk noisily in plain sight at pretty much every seaside town waiting for an opportunity to smite me once again. Even at 20, I still watch my back; just last year I got chased down North Street by a particularly ruthless seagull, as I was running away there were points where I feared I would not live to tell the tale.  

Nevertheless, I am conflicted. How can I write for an environmental magazine and claim to care about nature if I feel this way? Having started a module on political ecology, I have not only become more pretentious (if that was possible), but I have increasingly reflected on my understandings of nature. One reading from this course which I find particularly relevant to this article is a chapter by Cronon, which discusses how perceiving ourselves as separate from nature we idolise and privilege remote and pristine forms of nature at the expense of the everyday nature. Applying this to seagulls, I feel what we do is in fact worse as we not only neglect them but actively condemn them as a nuisance.  

Furthermore, ‘seagulls’ are not actually a species- this is just a broad term applied to a variety of different gulls. If seagulls could speak English, I think they would have some choice words to say about this and would curse us with profanities, not unlike the curses when they snatch our hard-earned chips out of our very hands. The most common ‘seagulls’ are Herring Gulls, and you may be surprised to learn that their populations are in decline and as a result they are on the UK Red List for endangered species  

Moreover, what we consider seagull’s ‘bad behaviour’ are simply their natural, adaptive survival instincts. For instance, seagulls are only aggressive when they perceive a threat to their nestlings; scattering rubbish is equally consequence of our own bad behaviours and actions upon our urban environments. Towns and cities have less predators; warmer temperatures which allows earlier breeding; and streetlights to allow feeding both in the night and the day In other words, seagulls are simply taking advantage of a world altered by human social and productive systems. 

This causes us to view seagulls as a pest, a nuisance, a problem; something that which needs to be controlled through action and legislative measures. Yet we must recognize that these birds have their own autonomy– they are simply trying to survive as best they can. Ultimately, seagulls are competitive, resourceful, and innovative; are these not qualities which are most valued in the society in which we live? At the end of the day, who are we to judge?