ROME (OSV News) — As the world watched the Sistine Chapel chimney for signs of white smoke, another character stole the spotlight: a stoic seagull standing guard with more poise than a Swiss Guard in full regalia.
Perched like a feathered sentinel atop the roof of the Sistine Chapel — or literally as a member of the world’s smallest army guarding the pope since 1506, if you follow memes going viral — the bird has become the unexpected protagonist of the 2025 conclave.
(By 12:10 pm EST, white smoke billowed from the chimney signaling a pope has been elected.)
It’s much like a long-lost relative returning for the family photo, as a seagull also made a memorable appearance in the 2013 conclave that elected Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio as Pope Francis.
Memes Abound
Memes abound. One shows the bird dressed in full papal garb, captioned “Habemus Gullum” instead of Habemus Papam. Another features St. Francis of Assisi feeding “Gospel” instead of bread to a flock of birds — among which an outsized seagull looms with unmistakable authority.
“For years, seagulls have ruled Rome,” said New York Times journalist Jason Horowitz, who wrote about the city’s increasingly assertive gulls in 2018. “And now they are perching on top of Vatican City,” he told OSV News.
Their celebrity status isn’t new. During the 2013 conclave, two parody Twitter accounts — @sistineseagull and @_VaticanSeagull — offered blow-by-blow commentary, as if the gulls themselves were covering the conclave. More than a decade later, the jokes have evolved (thanks, AI), but the cast remains unchanged: chimney, smoke and the ever-present seagull.
“Nothing like being out here, seeing it live. When you follow the conclave livestream, you’re not really watching the chimney,” joked Mark, an American pilgrim from Minnesota standing in St. Peter’s Square May 6.
Watching Seagull Watch Chimney
“You’re watching a seagull watch the chimney. Also — have you seen the size of these birds? They’re massive. Like, small-child massive.”
Rome’s gulls are no ordinary seaside scavengers. They’re bold, loud and unbothered by crowds — or cardinals. Some Romans consider them the true mascots of the Eternal City, replacing cats as the reigning urban wildlife.
“Forget the cats,” said Lorenzo, a Roman in his late 60s who arrived early afternoon May 8 with his three dogs, hoping for white smoke. “Rome should be known for its mutant seagulls. They’re part of the skyline now. You can’t imagine the city without them.”
Of course, not all seagull sightseeing in the Vatican has been charming. In 2014, Pope Francis, flanked by two children, released a pair of white doves in a symbolic gesture of peace.
Live TV Casualties
Seconds later, a crow and a seagull swooped in — and the doves became live TV casualties. The moment was seared into the internet’s memory as a kind of darkly comic omen.
“I hope the new pope doesn’t release a dove,” Horowitz told OSV News dryly. “Because history shows they are (a) great lunch for seagulls.”
While insiders speculate about papabili and the future direction of the church, the bird atop the Sistine Chapel offers a different kind of tradition — the tradition of comic relief. Like the Swiss Guards, it might even be rotating shifts off camera: At one point in the evening of May 7, viewers spotted not one, but three gulls, including what looked suspiciously like a baby bird — a junior cadet, if you will.
The conclave remains a moment of great mystery and spiritual significance. But in an age of livestreams, hashtags and meme culture, it’s also a spectacle. And every good spectacle deserves a mascot.
So as the cardinals cast their ballots behind closed doors, the faithful — and the amused — continue watching the sky, the smoke … and the seagull who seems to know exactly where to look.
Because in Rome, even the birds get front-row seats to history.
Ines San Martin writes for OSV New from Rome. She is the VP of COmmunications for the Pontifical Mission Societies USA.
