Stubborn seagull mom kept nesting in the same parking spot. So this Norwegian city made it officially hers

The majority of people know the frustration of a parking lot showdown, that tense moment when you eye a perfect spot, only to have someone ruthlessly cut you off and steal it at the last second. Yet, drivers pulling into Nygård residential community in Sandefjord, Norway, cannot help but concede to the ultimate parking space hog. The culprit isn't an aggressive motorist or a truck driver, but rather a seagull mom, who decided that a patch of asphalt was the perfect place to build a nursery. This news, originally posted by Sandefjord kommune's page on Facebook, came to light after a person (u/Sundiatasweridcousin) posted a picture of this bird on Reddit, garnering over 2,100 upvotes since 5 June, 2026.

It all began last year

This story of the affectionate relationship between the people of Nygård and the seagull started last year when the bird chose this exact spot as her nesting place. The people tried to relocate her nest before any eggs were laid, hoping to save this parking spot and keep the bird from being run over. However, the seagull had made up its mind and didn't waste any time rebuilding its home in that spot. In fact, to further solifdy its position, it even laid eggs in it. So, the city chose compassion over convenience and surrounded her new home with cones.

The bird returned this year

Fast forward to this year, Gunhild, the bird named after the city's first human resident from 1977, returned to the same spot this year. And so, the residents decided to take things up a notch and even install a board for her place. "Gunhild's place," it reads. "The common gull is fully protected. It is listed as vulnerable on the Norwegian Red List. It is illegal to shoot, catch, harm, or destroy nests and eggs," the board further informs any passersby. Soon, someone clicked a picture of the board and the bird, making Gunhild a viral sensation. While most people loved this lovely gesture by the local residents, a few were concerned about the arrangement, forcing the city to respond.

The city hits back 

The city acknowledged that many people had strong opinions about the fact that they had reserved a parking spot for a seagull. They then went on to explain why they did so and the entire backstory behind this decision. "Gunhild has granted herself a short-term stay at Nygård," the city joked in their Facebook post. "Therefore, we have set up traffic cones to prevent anyone from driving over Gunhild. Today, Gunhild also got a sign put up to explain things a bit, because Gunhild is here to stay for a while." 

Declining population

It is efforts like these that are needed more than ever to help increase the population of seagulls in Norway and get them off the Red List. Even more so, the population of these beautiful birds is decreasing in Norway by over 30% in the last three generations. What's more concerning is that this number goes as high as 90% in the country's southern region. Moreover, the population of common gull, similar to Gunhild, dropped from 2,400 breeding pairs in the 70s to just 200 in 2008, according to Fosshein Photography. So hopefully more people will step up after this for these lovely creatures, so they can once again flourish in Norway.

While others might be divided, people on Facebook were quite happy with the city's efforts. Magni Moen said, "So good that animals and birds mark their right across from us two-legged." Merete Sundberg commented, "What a lovely municipality. I hope she gets to lie in peace and not be bothered."

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