BirdingNZ.net

At least nine RBGs shot and stomped to death at the Kaikoura wharf yesterday.

Some graphic pics published, so don't click if you are squeamish.
https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national ... n-kaikoura

I am sad about loss of nine Red-billed gulls.

I had seen dead RBGs on road and roadsides in Thames over 18 past years, and in early 2000s I caught few young RBGs with fishing hooks in their beaks and removed the hooks out of the beaks, before I released them to nature.

Most NZ people are cruel to birds as RBGs and keas and our native birds, they often run down or knock the native birds on roads, with their cars.

In mid-2000s I took a juvenile RBG to a Vet in Thames town and I asked the female vet to remove the hook from its guts, and one hour later I return for bird to release to nature, but instead of alive bird, the vet had killed the bird, and I received the dead bird. I were very upset about cruel vet killing native birds, and I no longer trust vets to our native birds.

RBG is short name for Red-billed gull.

Red-billed gulls are New Zealand subspecie of Silver gulls which lives in Australia, Tasmania, New Caledonia.

That's unfortunate Clinton about the Red Billed Gull dying, but as you mentioned that the hook was in the bird's gut, it would have been a very difficult task for the vet to remove it ! In my experience, vets always do the best they can.