Pirates of the crammed bin: why seagulls are here to stay in British towns and cities | Sophie Pavelle

For as long as our coast remains polluted and food is plentiful in urban areas, we will have these noisy neighboursI used to hear sparrows, starlings, wood pigeons and robins. Now, summer's small hours are dominated by a chorus fit for a seafarer: herring gulls mostly, narrating the day from their urban stoops. "Oh, how lovely!", wistful colleagues say. "I feel like I'm at the seaside during a call with you." And yet, I am not at the seaside. I am in Exeter city centre, 10 miles from the coast.Our relationship with gulls is complicated. From Viking superstition to British Vogue's latest cover, these seabirds have long been allied with truth, cunning, good fortune and endurance, while simultaneously being regarded as the ultimate urban antagonist.Sophie Pavelle is a writer and science communicator Continue reading...