Can a seagull sit in a regular chair?

A seagull’s knees are not where you think

There was this seagull walking on the beach. A situation quite common for North Islanders to see. Until you look very closely at how a seagull walks. And as you focus on the flop flop flopping of the webbed feet on wet sand a looming question mark begins to form. Why are their knees bending the wrong way? It’s so weird! And once you “see it” you can’t stop seeing the little knobby knee bending the wrong way. More questions plague your mind. Questions like “if a seagull had to sit in a regular chair how would that work?” “What would a car be like if seats were bent the other way?” “How would a plane fly?” This bendy knee issue needed some investigating. And I did not have to look far.

Ankles not knees

A great diagram from Mark David in Australia highlights both the similarities and differences between a human knee and a bird knee! I emailed Mark, and he gave permission for us to use his diagram to explain this perplexing situation happening all over our beaches. Thank you, Mark! And there you have it folks, when a seagull is walking you are actually looking at what is more like an “ankle”. The actual knee is tucked up into the body, bending just as normal as ever. Could a seagull sit in a chair? Well, it would be a small stubby one with an odd shaped distance between the floor and the seat, but the answer appears to be yes.

Salt water sniffers in trouble

Wait a second though! Remember your parents telling you not to drink salt water? A seagull can because of a small gland that rinses the salt out through its nose. Gross! Extra salty boogers. They are also highly intelligent and expert food thieves. But that is not where this story ends. Seagulls (and other gulls) are not just pesky beach walking birds with weird knees looking to steal your chips. They are also in trouble. The conservation of gull populations is receiving wide attention in the scientific community as a barometer of many global changes. Concerningly, gull populations around the world are sharply declining in modern times. Experts in B.C. have found a 50 percent reduction of gulls since the 1980s and other areas of the world also report significant gull losses. Gulls have a long and ancient history with mariners and exploration, and they serve a critical role in our coastal ecology and human history. As we protect our snack bags during an ocean swim this summer, take a few moments and think about the seagull – you will not be bored or disappointed.

Bryce J. Casavant is a former B.C. Conservation Officer and lectures at Royal Roads University. He writes for The Eagle and The Review from his home on Vancouver Island.

With files from cartoonist & illustrator Mark David, Australia (mdavid.com.au)