You know the feeling: you’re at the beach ready to chow down on some barbecue, when you spot a devious-looking seagull watching you from ten feet away. You look in the other direction and back, and the seagull is now five feet away. It’s just waiting for the right moment to snatch your hard-earned food. In this YouTube Video, a seagull named Cecil takes that food-stealing urge to the extreme.
Say what you will about seagulls; they are incredibly resourceful and daring, too. Whereas other sea-adjacent creatures shy away from human contact, seagulls don’t mind an endless game of chicken played between them, you, and your precious food. Let’s learn more about Cecil and how he dares in a way even the rudest seagull can’t manage.
Cecil the Thief
A seagull in Waterford, Connecticut, has become a thief for the ages.
©YouTube/NEWSCENTERMaine
In this YouTube video, a news report from NEWS CENTER Maine, viewers are introduced to a beady-eyed seagull named Cecil. He lives on a Connecticut beach and has become famous for his skill and daring in stealing people’s food. Everyone knows Cecil at this point; he’s got big, beady, yellow eyes, a yellow beak, and a portly frame thanks to all the food he manages to score.
Whereas seagulls are usually opportunistic thieves, stealing food when no one’s around, Cecil seeks out opportunity. He does this by swooping, sniping, and even attacking any beachgoer with visible food. Seagulls are known for their adaptability, and Cecil is no exception. Like his gull family members, he switches to human food when sourcing normal dietary needs isn’t feasible or wanted.
According to beachgoers, Cecil has a penchant for starchy stuff: snacks, treats, and other carbs. He also has a taste for the finer things in the form of an errant crab leg or two. Even with a camera crew present, as seen in this YouTube Video, Cecil didn’t hesitate to swoop several people and come away with tasty loot. He truly shows incredible skill in this department, though not without some collateral damage. Cecil is even known to bite a finger or two in the process.
Organized Crime
Cecil not only steals with ease, but he’s also recruited other seagulls to help him do more dirty deeds.
©YouTube/NEWSCENTERMaine
Already well-known at the Waterford Beach Park in Waterford, Connecticut, several news stories have made Cecil a veritable New England celebrity. Word has spread, and the city of Waterford has taken notice of his antics. According to this news report, the city has installed several signs warning beachgoers about the thieving seagull.
To make matters worse, Cecil has realized that he has a marketable skill. Cecil is often seen stealing food alongside other seagulls, leading some locals to joke that he has inspired a gang of fellow food thieves. Complaints have increased as Cecil’s reputation grows. According to a coordinator for the city’s Recreation and Parks Program, not much can be done. Cecil is a wild animal and isn’t really harming anyone, so for now, they have to let him steal in peace. As seen in this YouTube video, stealing shows no sign of slowing.
