Seagull Monument

The Seagull Monument in Temple Square commemorates the California gulls that descended on Salt Lake City in 1848 and devoured the crickets threatening the pioneers' first harvest. The bronze monument, erected in 1913, consists of a tall granite column topped by two gilded seagulls and is one of the more unusual pieces of public commemoration in the American West.

The story is a central part of LDS pioneer mythology, and the California gull is now Utah's official state bird despite not being a particularly abundant species there. The monument stands on the southwest side of Temple Square, between the Tabernacle and the Assembly Hall.

things to do sight
A story
In 1848, the pioneers' first crop was being destroyed by a plague of crickets when flocks of California gulls arrived and ate the insects, saving the harvest. The birds are now Utah's official state bird, and the event — known as the Miracle of the Gulls — is a founding story of Mormon providence. The monument to the birds stands in Temple Square, directly beside the Assembly Hall.