Anyone who lives even remotely near a shoreline knows how ubiquitous seagulls can be. Essentially, they’re everywhere in warm weather – complaining to each other in their raucous voices, stealing food from tourists and generally creating shenanigans wherever they are.

Pig Models has released a lovely package of 3D printed seagulls that can make a fine addition to any nautical scene. The package includes 10 seagulls in 5 poses and each comes in a protective “box” to guard the contents. Unfortunately, even this precaution hasn’t prevented damage to the contents, at least in my case. Three of the figures in my set had severely damaged “landing gear” before I’d even opened the package. I don’t know if this is typical or if mine had just received extraordinarily rough handling, but beware that this could be an issue. That doesn’t, however, render them useless, as most can be shown sitting rather than standing with just a tiny amount of work.

The gulls themselves are quite lifelike, including to-scale legs (which is clearly part of the problem) and some really useful poses. Don’t kid yourself about them, though – these aren’t sparrows. These are BIG birds, a shown by the figure in my photos to demonstrate scale. As such. They would even pass for 1/24^th if you want to use them in an auto diorama or such.

Painting is relatively straight-forward, as they consist mostly of white, gray and black with orange feet. I finished mine in about ten minutes.

As for their application, these can be shown in almost any suitable setting, and I’ve already used mine for my 5 inch turret model and a miniature submarine. They add some life and a nice touch to any setting, actually, and I note that Pig Models includes them in the deluxe version of their 5 inch turret model. Except for the packaging damage, I can wholeheartedly recommend them for all sorts of dioramas.

My thanks to Pig Models for a chance to review these and to IPMS/USA for a chance to paint them and add them to my own models. Happy modeling, everyone, and stay safe!