Good guess, but wide of the mark. While few species are on the red list, literally all wild birds in the UK are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

This is literally the most polarised comment section I've seen. Both sides of the argument for and against the killing are getting downvotes out the wazoo

Seagulls and most other gull birds are not protected under federal law, however disrupting/modifying wildlife of any kind (including seagulls) without a permit is illegal. However on a state level some do protect many gulls including seagulls while also controlling their population to reduce nuisance.

Then you have places like Florida, where seagulls are not even protected under the local animal cruelty act. You could torture them for being the scavenger animals they are and not get into any trouble at all. It’s really sickening.

There: 🫴🔪

Pick your side.

I am for smacking the seagulls. One smack is enough. Beating it to death or slamming into a wall is overkill.

It's still senseless, while being willfully cruel and violent; it's just a smaller magnitude in the same wrong direction.

I’m an animal lover

written with the flesh of vulnerable individuals still rotting between your teeth

yes but you can only hunt them ironically.

I don't think so. It's my food and if a seagull comes in to steal it it's getting smacked away. It is the way of life. You think a different animal would let a seagull steal its food? I doubt it. And my benevolence only stretches so far.

This is a sort of energy we need to be bringing to the US World cup. Give the cops something to really worry about.

I was mugged by a gang of gulls in California. One swooped in and kicked over my fries, then the rest rushed in to grab what they could. A family at the next table rescued me. "Circle the wagons," the dad said.

Mostly mammals.

I ran. I ran so far away.

Seagulls are essentially rats in sailor suits, except a LOT more aggressive.

See, this guy gets it. [Fist bump]

As someone from Florida, this is a true, but once you have been the victim of, or seen families become victims of, a swarm of these assholes, you can understand people reacting violently. As another commenter said: I disagree, but I understand. For me personally, when I would go to the beach, if I saw 30+ seagulls sitting on the beach, I'd tell the kids "sorry, not today" and we'd leave. They are that bad.

Absolutely. It's fucking unhinged.

Imagine getting seriously mad about a seagull...

True. The nonironic bag limit is 0

They have good taste, that is why they love them.

Some animals are more equal than others

Wow, that got dark quick. From fuck seagulls to genocide in the blink of an eye.

They drew first blood… they drew first blood…

You taste exactly the same to me.

But you want to treat some animals as though they have no moral value whatsoever.

The gall of using Orwell for your selfishly deluding sophistry

I dunno, I am a bit old and sinewy to be honest. You probably want to cannibalize someone a bit tastier. Perhaps if you slow cook me it would turn out better.

Crime of passion

Seems like a somewhat bad idea. US law enforcement don't get punished for murdering US citizens. They probably wouldn't care about using overly aggressive tactics for even benign situations.

How so exactly? Super loud, consume garbage, annoy everybody, nobody likes them. Seems fairly accurate.

Good riddance. Fucking birds should've gone extinct sixty-five million years ago with the rest of their misbegotten ilk.

I hate to be that guy but beating it to death is 'kill'.

Beating it to death, then continuing to beat it some more... that is 'overkill'

Was he intending to get it to cough the pasty back up so he could eat it or something?

Oh, absolutely.

Beating it to death is 'overkill' though if your intention was simply to 'make it sorry'.

Tbh, reading this thread it seems like a lot of people don't feel able to pull their punch accurately enough to both make a seagull regret taking your food and not injure it in the process.

I mean, if you're really angry, and you've physically caught it, what's wrong with screaming in it's face then throwing it into the air. It'll be off like a bat out of hell after that.

But at the end of the day, it's a bit of food, not even worth doing the above either but I guess it depends on your anger management skills.

There's 'smacked away' and then there is 'repeatedly punched so hard that it's chest cavity caves in' though.

Did you not read my original comment? I am against reducing the seagull to a pulp.

On the other hand: It will never steal anything ever again.

this community's mod officially approves of bigotry against people for their gender so I'm removing this comments content

Yes, I was just pointing out that the dude in the article didn't just 'smack away' the seagul, so we agree.

I'm thinking I worded my reply badly, making it sound like a counterpoint when it wasn't.

I'm not an ornithologist and have no idea how many species of gulls there are or whether they're all protected, but yes a number of gulls, if not all, are protected in the US by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 plus various amendments. There's a list here:

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-50/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-10/subpart-B/section-10.13

I'm fer it.

I'm again' it.

But I'm fer it.

40 bucks on the monkey in the blue fez!

You underestimate the resilience of wild animals. A slap will only do them good.

It would depend on the situation I think. We just have a story to go on here and no direct awareness of the events as they unfolded. In your scenarios there's a different degree and intent in actions and reactions. But if I had to put down some general morality I would probably settle on equal, non excessive, reactions to establish personal boundaries. This entirely depends on the individual subjects though. One could have neurological or intellectual disorders for example.

Blockemall I says!

Oh shush, don't you know she's oppressed?

The Passion of the Gull

I can't bear it, would you please clutch my pearls for me?

GASP!

...just like seagulls, the lot'ofem!