Gull Island, sitting just off the coast in Northport Bay, is home to thousands of herring gulls which nest on the island from April to June. Herring gulls are scavengers that remove dead fish from shorelines and cull weak fish from the population. Don’t confuse them with the smaller, pesky ring-billed gulls, which would easily become even more ubiquitous were the herring gulls not around to keep them in check. Other water fowl at Gull Island include the blue-winged teal, mute swan, cormorant, and red-breasted merganser.

Gull Island has also been an important educational and scientific resource. Scientists have conducted groundbreaking studies in population ecology, toxicology, and animal behavior here.

For the birds...only!

No mammals are allowed on Gull Island, including humans. Herring gulls mate for life and are very sensitive to disturbance, especially during nesting season. Birds may abandon their nests at the slightest provocation. Boat noise – especially the whine of personal watercraft – are fatally disruptive to nesting gulls.

The island holds its own dangers for people. Cottage ruins seen from the lake pose dangers of rusty nails and the like. Falling feces or, more seriously, the beak of a diving gull, are a given with so many birds on site. There is also a risk of inhaling the fungal spore Histoplasmosis, which causes a potentially fatal lung disease. Gull Island has been preserved as a sanctuary for the Herring Gull colony. Nesting places such as Gull Island, free from predators and human interference, are rare.

History Lesson

Bird colonies have nested here in Northport Bay for at least 4,000 years. Gull island has also long been a navigational aid. Over the last century, the land has passed through several families who tried to live among the gulls—and failed. When the Conservancy acquired the island in 1995, birds had taken over the dilapidated Ustick cottage.

Experiencing Gull Island:

Please contact the Leelanau Conservancy for a schedule of educational boat tours to the waters off Gull Island. These trips are great for bird watching and do not disturb the animals. Or, you can volunteer for cleanup and monitoring sessions, which occur outside the nesting season of March-July. 231-256-9665.

Herring Gull Eggs: Environmental Indicators