Week 6 Ecological Protection of Ring-billed Gull

The ring-billed gull is a seabird found in North America and northern Eurasia. Interestingly, this group of ring-billed gulls lives in the freshwater Lake Michigan. They migrate long distances every year, flying south from their breeding grounds in the Arctic to spend the winter.
In the mid-20th century, the number of ring-billed gulls dropped significantly due to overhunting and habitat destruction. However, through the efforts of governments and conservation organizations, the population of ring-billed gulls has gradually recovered, just like the Illionis Beach Sate Park where I went to shoot, which has been built into an environmental protection area, successfully allowing many endangered creatures to regain their habitats.
A successful conservation case occurred on East Egg Island in Maine, USA. This was once an important breeding ground for ring-billed gulls, but the bird population was lost due to human activities in the late 19th century. Through habitat restoration and protection measures, ring-billed gulls resumed breeding on the island in 1981, and it has now become one of the largest breeding grounds for ring-billed gulls in North America.
These photos reflect the importance of ecological conservation and how human efforts can help endangered species recover. It also highlights the key role of protecting biodiversity in maintaining ecological balance.