[InKunming--Kunming] Seagulls, the old friends of Kunming, will back to Siberia in March. In order to know more about them, Kunming Forestry administration organized other researchers to do a further investigation of seagulls, including weighing, measuring, wearing foot ring, taking samples of blood and so on.

It is not easy to catch seagulls without hurting them. Researchers took a speed boat to Caohai, the north of Dianchi lake. The first step is feeding. When the seagulls flew close to the boat, they would be quickly caught, and some researchers’ hands were pecked (citizens are not allowed to catch seagulls).

“It is pretty hard to do the research. We can’t wear gloves because it is unhandy, and we only caught about 60 seagulls one day,” said Lu Honglin, a section chief from Kunming Endangered Plant and Animal Rescue Center.

“This is a healthy adult seagull, about 284.6 grams and 29.5 centimeter long,” said a researcher. They put a blue ring and a metal ring on the seagull’s foot, which includes the detailed information about this seagull. In addition, they gave the seagull a blood sampling test to examine its state of health.

All the work is done for learning the wintering condition of seagulls, and further studying on their migration routes and growth. Through one-day research, the most seagulls are between 250 grams to 300 grams which is a normal weight for a seagull. They gain 5 to 10 grams during this winter in Kunming, and are ready for next long distance migration.

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(Editors: Christine, Rachel)