According to maritime lore, it’s unlucky to kill a gull or an albatross – they both contain the souls of all the sailors lost at sea. Also possessing a feather of a wren that was killed on the first day of the year is supposed to protect a sailor from dying in a shipwreck. IT’s supposed to be ba luck to see a cormorant at sea, or a curlew, however Swallows are a good sign. (more from The sea’s living lore: sailnet.com)