Ifham Nizam, whose article in the ISLAND is entitled “Arctic link discovered: Lankan scientists trace 8,000 km seabird migration route”
Sri Lankan scientists have uncovered a remarkable long-distance migration route used by seabirds, linking the island’s shores with the Arctic—an achievement that is expected to reshape global understanding of bird movement and highlight Sri Lanka’s importance in the natural world. The discovery, led by Professor Sampath S. Seneviratne of the University of Colombo, shows that Heuglin’s Gulls travel nearly 8,000 kilometres from Sri Lanka to breeding grounds in northern Russia, following a carefully chosen path that combines coastal travel with long inland journeys .Prof. Seneviratne told The Island that the finding challenges the long-standing belief that seabirds depend mainly on ocean routes. “For a long time, we assumed seabirds would stay close to the sea throughout their migration. What we are seeing here is very different. These birds are moving across land as well, using a route that connects Sri Lanka directly with the Arctic,” he said.
Brown headed gull- migrating from Himalayas to Mannar
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