The public is being asked to keep an eye out for storm petrels.

Every fall, young storm petrels leave their nests to fly out over the ocean for the season, but many become disoriented by bright lights on shore.

The Witless Bay Bird Sanctuary and Baccalieu Island are major breeding grounds for storm petrels and many end up all along the coast.

Once a storm petrel ends up on land, it has a very difficult time taking flight, and they can fall victim to traffic, or animals that prey on them.

Administrator of the Rock Wildlife Rescue Facebook page Karen Brown Gosse says the birds they’re seeing appear to be in good shape, but they do require help to get them back out to sea where they belong.

She says petrels on land are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they require help.

CPAWS has patrols underway looking for stranded birds. She suggests that anyone who encounters a storm petrel stranded on land to place them in a box in a quiet place and call CPAWS who will pick the bird up and release them in a safe place.