“Why don’t seagulls live by the bay?”/“Because then they’d be bagels.”

One popular animal joke (also a food joke) is:
 
Q: Why do seagulls live near the sea?
A: Because if they lived near the bay, they’d be called bagels.
 
The joke has been cited in print since at least 1991.
 
     
Google Groups: rec.humor
Henry III Joke List
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
6/28/91
Henry Cates III at Xerox maintains a mailing list of funny jokes. This posting has been forwarded to the net from that list. I have not edited this, but passed it on intact.
(...)
Why do seagulls live near the sea?
Because if they lived near the bay, they’d be called bagels.
 
Google Groups: rec.humor
Life 2.2
Henry Cate
1/26/95
(...)
Why do seagulls live near the sea?
Because if they lived near the bay, they’d be called bagels.
 
Google Groups: rec.humor
Canonical List Of Animal Humor 1/2
April Fool
3/13/95
(...)
Why do seagulls live near the sea?
Because if they lived near the bay, they would be called bagels.
 
2 January 2003, Waunakee (WI) Tribune, “Pause a Moment,” pg. 11, col. 1:
Why do seagulls live near the sea?
Because if they lived near the bay, they would be called bagels.
     
Google Books
101 Amazing Animal Jokes
By Jack Goldstein
Andrews UK Limited
2013
Pg. ?:
Why do seagulls live near the sea?
Because if they lived near the bay, they would be called bagels!
 
Twitter
Jonny Gotham
‏@jonnygotham
@steph_hay “why don’t seagulls live by the bay?” “Because then they’d be BAY-gulls” *New York joke*
New York, NY
11:09 AM - 9 Oct 2013
 
Google Books
The Ultimate Animal Joke Book:
Boundless laughs on the animals behalf!
By Matthew Grant
Daturian Press (DaturianPublishing.com)
2015
Pg. ?:
Question: Why do seagulls live near the sea?
Answer: Because if they lived near the bay, they would be called bagels
 
Twitter
ѕтєρн .
‏@ssteephh_
Why don’t Seagulls live by the bay?
Because then they would be called bagels
4:38 PM - 10 Feb 2015
 
Twitter
Corinna.
‏@CorinnaCaution
“Why can’t seagulls live by the bay?”
“I dunno why?”
“Cause then they’d be bagels”
Lol.
Marshall, MI
7:38 PM - 12 Mar 2015