<p>Karwar: The presence of a transmitter-attached seagull has aroused curiosity and some fear among visitors to the Rabindranath Tagore beach here. </p>.<p>But the coastal marine division of the forest department has clarified that the bird had been released for research purposes by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Centre (SLWCC). </p>.<p>The Heuglin's Gull has been affixed with a GPS transmitter and has satellite tagging. </p>.<p>Indigenous to the snow-capped Arctic mountains, the seagull migrates to Sri Lanka during winter. </p>.Seagull spreading its wings in Africa.<p>"One of these birds was captured, geo-tagged for research purposes and released in March. It had flown to Siberia and to the Arctic. After the breeding season there, it started back towards Sri Lanka. It has reached Karwar on the way," Sampath Seneviratne, a research scientist at Colombo University told DH. </p>.<p>"Its journey has spanned more than 12,000 km over this period. Looking at satellite data, we found that these birds are on the aerial path even at night," he said. </p>.<p>"The Seagull found here throws light on the research undertaken by SLWCC. India should also replicate such experiments using homegrown devices," Amit Hegde, a senior wildlife researcher told DH. </p>
<p>Karwar: The presence of a transmitter-attached seagull has aroused curiosity and some fear among visitors to the Rabindranath Tagore beach here. </p>.<p>But the coastal marine division of the forest department has clarified that the bird had been released for research purposes by the Sri Lanka Wildlife Conservation Centre (SLWCC). </p>.<p>The Heuglin's Gull has been affixed with a GPS transmitter and has satellite tagging. </p>.<p>Indigenous to the snow-capped Arctic mountains, the seagull migrates to Sri Lanka during winter. </p>.Seagull spreading its wings in Africa.<p>"One of these birds was captured, geo-tagged for research purposes and released in March. It had flown to Siberia and to the Arctic. After the breeding season there, it started back towards Sri Lanka. It has reached Karwar on the way," Sampath Seneviratne, a research scientist at Colombo University told DH. </p>.<p>"Its journey has spanned more than 12,000 km over this period. Looking at satellite data, we found that these birds are on the aerial path even at night," he said. </p>.<p>"The Seagull found here throws light on the research undertaken by SLWCC. India should also replicate such experiments using homegrown devices," Amit Hegde, a senior wildlife researcher told DH. </p>
