An orphaned seagull who was first found and rehabilitated by the Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. in 2000 has been spotted again 鈥� twice 鈥� in White Rock, 24 years later.
The first re-sighting of the Glaucous-winged gull, who was raised and rehabilitated at the organization鈥檚 facility more than two decades ago, was in February of last year, when the banded gull was re-captured in White Rock by Environment and Climate Change Canada researchers, as part of their Salish Sea Gull Project.
The bird was fitted with several new colour bands to make it easily identifiable from a distance, and was subsequently spotted again on Sept. 16, 2024, also in White Rock, a Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. release issued Thursday (Aug. 21, 2025) noted.
鈥淚t is exhilarating to hear about this gull鈥檚 decades-long success in the wild after receiving a second chance at life back in 2000,鈥� said Jackie McQuillan, programs director at the association.
The Salish Sea Gull Project is an integral part of the Salish Sea Marine Bird Monitoring and Conservation Program, the release continued, adding the five-year program monitors marine birds as indicators of the health of the Salish Sea and collects data for conservation efforts. The project is especially significant, the release said, as gull species are protected under the Migratory Birds Convention Act of 1994 and have been identified as a stewardship priority by ECCC.
The Wildlife Rescue Association of B.C. and ECCC encourage the public to report any sightings of banded gulls, like the one highlighted in this story, to the .
The full link:
By doing so, people "can help advance vital research for marine bird conservation."
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