Helicopter Landing Kills Gulls

Human disruption in a seabird nesting colony at certain times of the year can have disastrous consequences for young birds. The territorial instinct is so strong that young birds leaving the envelope of their nesting territory get attacked by other adults of nearby territories. This incident was precipitated when a Canadian Coast Guard helicopter made an unscheduled landing at the island in August 2003. Normally they do not come to the island in the sensitive period, this time a mistake was made!