A sad end, but the best one possible for an injured gull, suffering at Burton’s Pond at MUN this week.
People watched helplessly for days as an Iceland gull, with its wing wrenched from its body, dragged the useless appendage around on the ice.
Local bird biologist, Dr. Bill Montevecchi managed to capture the bird on Monday, and it was brought to a vet where it was made comfortable but eventually euthanized.
Lethally injured Iceland Gull captured on Burton's Pond. Sometime the hurting has to stop. pic.twitter.com/bW0A9boiyT
— Bill Montevecchi (@BillMontevecchi) January 15, 2020
Montevecchi says the amazing thing about this particular bird is that it was banded nearly seven years ago to the very day by his own team of students.
It was banded in January of 2013 at Quidi Vidi lake by the group of students.
An update was posted on the Newfoundland Birdwatching Group on Facebook.
A Familiar Situation
The incident was similar to one that unfolded several years ago on the roof of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in St. John’s.
A gull had somehow become impaled on a metal rod on the roof of the historic church, and suffered for days as witnesses ran into roadblocks getting help for the bird.
As well, Dr. Bill Montevecchi says another sad situation played out just last weekend in St. John’s Harbour involving a cormorant tangled in fishing gear.
Montevecchi says there are no real groups or agencies to call in those type of situations.
While he and his students sometimes get called, the demand can be relentless, and a professional team is needed to help wild injured birds.
Dr. Bill Montevecchi spoke with VOCM’s Linda Swain. Listen below:
