Rise in sooty gull deaths

Priyanka KURUGALA

The deaths of the migratory bird called sooty gulls have increased more than in other years. Around 25 deaths of these birds have been reported, environmentalist and environmental lawyer Jagath Gunawardana said.

Due to the South Western monsoon, many sooty gulls are swept away by the wind. Of them a number of birds have been killed, he said.

"The sooty gull is a type of a sea bird. When they fly they get swept away towards the land. They then try to fly against the wind. This causes fatigue and death," he said. Wildlife Conservation Society officer Madura de Silva said that their remains were found from areas such as Baddegama, Yakkalamulla, Hikkaduwa, Wanduramba and Hiyariya.

The Wildlife Conservation Department is conducting experiments to determine the cause of death of sooty gulls. Wildlife Director General Chandrawansa Pathirage said that the cause for the death is not bird flu. "Such a large number of deaths of these sooty gulls have been reported after 20 years.

In 2008, Akalanka Wickramarathna was able to find the remains of a sea bird close to Kotmale. Around six decades ago, the death of a sooty gull was reported from Dikoya. It was reported by Enid Kershaw," he said.