In the spring of 2011, an Acadia University research team led by Dr. Phil Taylor, Bird Studies Canada Chair in Ornithology, captured Great Black-backed and Herring Gulls during the breeding season to fit them with electronic tags and mark them with coloured wing and leg bands. The purpose is to study how gulls interact with offshore platforms and vessels, and to learn more about the year-round movements of these birds.
Tagged Herring Gull in flight. Photo by Robert Ronconi
This research relies on reports of banded birds spotted by birdwatchers, beach goers, offshore workers, fishers, and keen observers anywhere. Sightings throughout the year will help researchers to map out the home range and migration routes of Sable Island gulls. Sable Island is currently designated as a Migratory Bird Sanctuary, an Important Bird Area, and is slotted to become Canada’s newest national park in the near future.
You can learn more about this research on the Sable Island Gulls blog. To report your sightings of marked gulls, email robert.ronconi@acadiau.ca. Photos are welcome!
This research is supported by Encana Corporation and by Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service. Encana is the owner and operator of the Deep Panuke offshore natural gas project located 250 kilometres southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia on the Scotian Shelf.
Source: Bird Studies Canada