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Fishing Line and a Lure Prevented a Young Western Gull From Opening Her Beak

Juvenile Western Gull making its first attempt to fly at Bodega Head, California
Conservation · Threats

A recently fledged western gull (Larus occidentalis) in La Jolla, California, USA, has been documented with fishing line and a large lure tightly wrapped around her beak. Wildlife Jewels issued a search and rescue alert for the bird on 22 August 2026.

The young gull, named Beryl by the monitoring team, was estimated to be about two months old. The line prevented her from opening her beak properly to eat or drink. A photograph accompanying the alert was taken from a distance on 10 August.

Beryl could still fly when observed, making an immediate rescue difficult. Wildlife Jewels said she might return to her nesting cliff or move through nearby Shell Beach and Point La Jolla, and asked local observers to report her position while keeping a safe distance.

The organisation had followed the fledgling through near-daily monitoring since her parents were nesting. One parent was beside her during the documented observation.

Wildlife Jewels describes lost and discarded line, hooks and lures as a direct hazard in the same coastal areas where young gulls rest and learn to forage. At the time of publication, the bird had not yet been caught for treatment, and the alert focused on locating her while she remained mobile.

Sources and image credit

  1. Wildlife Jewels (2026) — Young Western Gull Entangled in Fishing Gear in La JollaPrimary field and rescue alert published 22 August 2026. Wildlife Jewels documents a roughly two-month-old western gull fledgling called Beryl with fishing line and a large lure tightly wrapped around her beak; she could still fly, preventing immediate rescue. The source photograph is dated 10 August 2026.

Image: Frank Schulenburg — juvenile Western Gull (Larus occidentalis) making its first attempt to fly while watched by an adult at Bodega Head, California, 31 July 2016; Wikimedia Commons. Representative California fledgling image, not Beryl from La Jolla. · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

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