Helping animals who arrive at the Wildlife Hospital in critical condition, recover, and watching them return to the wild, is one of the most rewarding parts of wildlife rehabilitation. Occasionally, we’re treated to something even more special: hearing that a past patient is not just surviving but thriving, even decades later.
In August of the year 2000, a young Glaucous-winged gull was found orphaned in Vancouver and brought to the Wildlife Rescue Association of BC by a worried wildlife friend. Thanks to the community’s support, the gull received a second chance and was raised at the Wildlife Hospital. The bird learned how to fly, swim, and forage, and received expert care to grow into a healthy, strong juvenile. After a month in care, the gull had developed all the critical skills needed to survive in the wild.
Just prior to being successfully released at Belcarra’s shoreline, the bird was banded by Master Bander Liz Thunstrom. The purpose of banding at Wildlife Rescue is to gain knowledge about the survival rate of birds treated in care after being released into their natural habitats. It helps wildlife rehabilitators understand how well orphaned birds raised in captivity adapt to life in the wild, and how those that have recovered from ailments go on to succeed in the wild.
Fast forward to February 2024: the now mature gull was recaptured in White Rock by researchers from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) as part of their Salish Sea Gull Project. The bird was fitted with several new coloured bands to make them easily identifiable from a distance and was spotted in White Rock again in September the same year.
“I was very surprised and pleased to hear of this recapture report after 24 years! This more than exceeded my hopes for its future when the bird was originally released back into the wild after banding,” said Thunstrom.
“It would be interesting to know what experiences the bird had in those years and how many young it produced in that time, but most satisfying is that it survived and did so well.”
The Salish Sea Gull Project is an integral part of the Salish Sea Marine Bird Monitoring and Conservation Program. This five-year initiative is especially significant as gull species are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act of 1994 and have been identified as a stewardship priority by ECCC.
“[We are] conducting research on Glaucous-winged gulls as indicators of the health of the Salish Sea, the idea being that if the ocean is healthy, the birds will be healthy,” said Mark Hipfner, ECCC research scientist. “As part of the larger project, we are banding gulls with unique combinations of colour bands to quantify age-specific survival rates. This individual confirms for us that these gulls can live good, long lives.”
By reporting sightings of banded gulls, you can help advance vital research for marine conservation.
Learn how to report sightings here: Salish Sea Gull Project: Colour Band Gull Sightings.
Editor's note: The Salish Sea Gull Project was conducted under the appropriate permits.
This article was written by Elin Molenaar, the communications coordinator at Wildlife Rescue Association.
