This is a ring-billed gull!
Despite how common they may seem- especially around the coast- they look so elegant flying through the sky!
Ring-billed gulls are considered a pest in some areas due to their sheer numbers. However, this was not always the case! Back in the early 1900s, feather-adorned hats were all the rage. Every fashionable lady had to have one! That being said, some of these fancy plumes came from seaside gulls.
Between this fashion trend, habitat loss, and other pressures at the time, ring-billed gull populations declined sharply. This was the case until the 1916 Migratory Birds Convention and the 1918 Migratory Bird Treaty Act swooped in to protect them and the population skyrocketed once more.
A fun story about another gull species- the California gull- comes from the days of the pioneers!
In 1847, early pioneers came to settle in the Salt Lake Valley and hurried to plant their crops after their journey.
But then the bugs came… (shiver)
A swarm of crickets infested and devoured the crops like Ghostbusters gobbling up ghosts!
With little hope of a good harvest, many prayed for deliverance. Later in June, flocks of California gulls arrived! They gobbled up the crickets and saved the harvest for the pioneers. This “miracle of the gulls” happened again in later years, and the event is fondly remembered in Utah’s history.
So, while gulls can be noisy and enjoy fine dining in dumpsters, they sure do have their strengths!
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/crickets-and-seagulls?lang=eng
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ring-billed_Gull/id
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