During the change between autumn and winter, as birds head south, they often choose Maoyu as a resting place as they make their journey. The number of birds and the different species constitute one-third of all the birds found on the 64 islands of Penghu. More significantly, many gulls on the island have been designated as being on the brink of extinction by many international bird protection associations.
每年秋、冬之際，候鳥南遷，常以貓嶼為棲息地或「中途島」，數量、種類幾乎佔了澎湖群島的六十四個島嶼總數的三分之一；更重要的是，島上還有被許多國際鳥類保護協會列為瀕臨絕種鳥類的燕鷗。