This feathered friend turned into a frightening foe.
A woman who became “besties” with a wild seagull during the COVID pandemic has had the bird turn on her, trashing her home and biting her nose — and it was all caught on camera.
Hayley Binnington, 41, recorded the bird’s brutal betrayal before sharing it to TikTok, where it went viral, clocking up more than 2.3 million views.
Binnington — a one-time hairstylist who is now unemployed — told Kennedy News that she named her seagull pal “Bernie,” and has been feeding him everyday since 2020.
“It was during COVID years, and everyone was indoors so he became sort of like a new best friend,” Binnington stated. “He’s one of the only people I see really. I see him every day and I see my mom once a month.”
However, on October 29, a boisterous Bernie arrived on Binnington’s balcony before she let him into her house — only for disaster to ensue.
The British native began filming the ordeal, with the usually-placid bird seen flying excitedly around the home, knocking over ornaments and making a mess.
Binnington believes Bernie may have become worked up after whiffing the potato wedges she had recently cooked, so she grabbed hold of the seagull to calm him.
“I decided to give him a cuddle but before I let him go, he pecked me,” she recalled. “I think he was annoyed because he wanted the wedges.”
“He bit my nose; I threw him out the window and suddenly my veneer was in my mouth! I was like, ‘Oh no, what’s happened?!”
Binnington says she has now “superglued” her veneer back into her mouth as she awaits a dentist appointment.
Meanwhile, Bernie’s bite has left her with a nasty facial injury.
“He really, really hurt my nose. I’ve got a cut. I’ve got to keep putting cream on and making sure it is cleaned properly,” she revealed. “He cut all the way from one side, underneath and inside the nose, as well as down the middle and on the other side. So, I’ve got this snip on my nose. It’s all scabby and bloody.”
Despite Bernie’s betrayal, Binnginton says she’s ready to forgive her feathered friend.
“I think he loves me really,” she declared, saying Bernie has already appeared back on her balcony.
“I’ve collected the feathers he leaves on the windowsill and I’m going to make a dreamcatcher out of them,” she cooed.