Vet clinic shares baby seagull, and viewers are stunned by what the elusive chicks look like

People online are captivated by an unusual visitor at a vet clinic: a baby seagull that left many viewers realizing they had never seen one before.

The young bird, filmed while being taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center, drew attention for its speckled fluff and unsteady little walk.

What happened?

Haddie, who uses the handle @hadtips, posted the clip on TikTok, showing the seagull chick at the clinic where she works.

At the time, the bird was headed to a wildlife rehabilitation center, and viewers quickly noticed its soft fluff, tiny black spots, and adorably awkward movements.

The post asked, "Have you ever seen a baby seagull?"

@hadtips I can't handle the cuteness. For anyone wondering, this little one was checked over at our clinic and then transferred to a wildlife rehabilitation center. #babyseagull #birdsoftiktok #seagulls #vetmed #cutebirds ♬ Tonight, Just Us - Cuisine Culture

Fully grown seagulls are a familiar sight around beaches, parking lots, and outdoor lunch spots, but their chicks are far less commonly seen.

Why does it matter?

Sea gulls have a reputation as being only loud, fully grown food thieves, but baby gulls are hardly unusual. They just remain tucked away in nesting areas until they are able to fly.

"They're just [in] out-of-the-way places," Mark Faherty, science coordinator at Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, explained to the Cape Cod Times of why baby gulls are hard to spot in the wild. "So many people don't have an opportunity to see the baby gulls. Once the gulls fledge and learn to fly, after a month or two, they disperse from the colony and will appear on beaches by late summer."

As for this baby gull, it's unclear why it was reported as possibly being in distress. However, Haddie said in the caption that "young wild birds benefit from minimal human imprinting and a gradual reintroduction to natural behaviors."

"If you find a baby seagull: keep it warm and quiet, avoid excessive handling, observe from a distance to confirm it truly needs help (parents may be nearby), and contact a local wildlife rehabilitator or vet if it appears injured, cold, or orphaned," Haddie continued.

What are people saying?

Viewers had plenty to say about the chick's adorable and unexpected appearance.

"He looks like a scoop of cookies and cream ice cream," wrote one commenter. 

Another viewer joked, "I didn't know about seagull babies. I mean logically, everything is a baby at some point; I get that, but for some reason I always thought of them just... spawning into existence fully grown and ready to steal your French fries and scream at God."

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