Dalian Bird Island

Dalian Bird Island

Bird Island, located three nautical miles south of Snake Island, has a main peak elevation of 118.7 meters and covers an area of just 0.3 square kilometers. The island is overgrown with vegetation, enjoys a suitable climate, receives ample rainfall, and is home to abundant insects. Every spring and autumn, flocks of migratory birds flying south or north stop here to rest and refuel. Year after year, this small island has become a necessary stopover on their migration route. The most common bird on the island is the seagull, a resident species that lives here year-round. Because the call of this type of seagull resembles a cat’s meow, locals call it the “sea cat,” and thus the island is also known as Sea Cat Island.

Seagulls make their homes in the island’s crevices and rock caves, primarily feed on fish, and are naturally gregarious. If people come to collect eggs during the breeding season, the seagulls will attack en masse—dropping stones, defecating, or slapping intruders’ faces with their wings—until the threat is driven away. Their courtship behavior is quite interesting, usually initiated by the female. Once she sets her sights on a male, she continuously emits affectionate mating calls. When the male eventually succumbs to her charm, the female becomes coy and demands a token of love: “If you want to marry me, you must offer a gift.” So the male has no choice but to dive into the sea, catch a small fish, and present it to the female. Only then will she follow him to their “bridal chamber.”

Seagull eggs are edible, but due to their strong fishy smell, seagull meat is generally not consumed. The southern part of the island has water depths of 7–10 meters, where yellow and black fish gather, and there is also an abundance of seafood delicacies. As the island’s facilities are not yet fully developed, visits are only possible by arranging special boats.