Haiguo Dialog: Red-billed gulls' 30-year romance in Kunming

Over 500 red-billed gulls have landed at the Caohai marsh near the northern shore of Lake Dianchi in Kunming, Yunnan province. This marks the 36 annual date between the Siberian birds and the spring city since 1985.

So what’s the reason for the red-billed gulls’ visits to Kunming over the 36 years, and why are the baby gulls out of the sight of local folks? 

With these questions in mind, Sea Pot, a monkey-faced staffer with Yunnan Gateway, has talked with Dr. Wu Heqi, an ornithologist at Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. 

Q: Why have the red-billed Siberian seagulls flown to Kunming to winter for 36 years?

A: The red-billed gulls are dependent on wetland, migrating, wintering, breeding and summering in the wet areas. The Dian Lake is surrounded by wetlands that form sound habitats for the migrant gulls.  

Q: How did Kunming conserve habitats for the migrant gulls?

A: Kunming has created some artificial habitats for the red-billed gulls, in addition to rules and regulations. The gulls used to flock to the traditional habitats of Cuihu (green lake) in downtown Kunming and Caohai (grass marsh) near the northern lake shore, but now they tend to gather at the wetlands in Dounan and Jingning near the southern lake shore, as well as the habitats near the western hill. This is good for isolation of their populations. 

Q: Why are the baby gulls unseen in Kunming?

A: Before coming to Kunming, the red-billed gulls bred and reared the babies in the Mongolian areas and Xinjiang till the chicks are capable of long flights.  

Q: What are the natural laws to follow for a harmonious man-gull relation?

It’s essential to keep proper distance. For example, some naughty guys have reportedly fed the gulls with food partly held by their mouth, which is not friendly let alone harmonious. Such practice could result in infection between man and birds, and special attention is needed in this.

Reporting by Liu Rong and Li Wenjun; Translating by Wang Shixue; Editing by Zhu Dongran