Western Gull Shot in Wing, Released Back Into Wild

This beautiful western gull who arrived with a wound from a BB pellet, was released on Monday after 33 days with Project Wildlife. The bird was released in Oceanside on the beach, south of Strand Beach, almost exactly where he was initially picked up by a Humane Law Enforcement Officer. When the gull first arrived, X-rays showed a fractured right ulna (one of the wing bones) and a BB pellet at the fracture location.

The BB pellet was surgically removed and the bird had a wing wrap for 24 days while receiving regular physical therapy. The goal was to build a strong enough callous at the fracture site for the wrap to be left off. The gull then graduated to an outdoor flight cage, where he spent eight days conditioning and gaining strength, eventually showing our veterinary team he was able to fly adequately for release.

During the release, the gull hopped onto wildlife veterinarian Dr. Kushnir’s head, knocking off his GoPro camera … leaving us with nothing but a shot of the sand. But he said it was still great to see the bird back in the wild with all his friends!

Published: February 25, 2021