International Bird Rescue

Photo by Bill Steinkamp

Last week, we brought you the story of a rookery tree at the Port of Los Angeles that had blown over in high winds. The L.A. Harbor Department’s tree division appeared on the scene quickly and helped us to save 15 baby birds that had fallen from their nests: 12 Black-crowned Night Herons and three Snowy Egrets.

Volunteer photographer Bill Steinkamp and staff rehabilitation technician Kylie Clatterbuck took photos and video of these birds now in our care (see below).

We’re also pleased to report that the Port of Los Angeles has given a $1,000 gift to care for these baby birds! We sincerely appreciate their multi-level support, from rescue to donation. Thank you!

How can you help? Each year, both our wildlife care centers in California receive hundreds (even thousands) of orphaned baby birds, from ducklings to goslings and baby egrets like the ones in this video. A gift of just $10 a month helps us to provide the warmth, food and expert medical care these animals need before they are released into the wild. Find out how you can become an International Bird Rescue supporter here.

Seabird colony photo via Wikimedia Commons

What’s new?

—We’ve noticed an uptick in media interest regarding seabirds and their critical role in tracking ocean pollution — a subject of particular interest on this blog. In the May 3 edition of the journal Science, John Elliott of Environment Canada and University of Manitoba researcher Kyle Elliott write compellingly about seabird monitoring studies and their advantages vis-à-vis other ocean species.

For one, seabirds forage widely across open seas but return to central breeding locations: “In one afternoon at a seabird colony, a biologist can sample an area of ocean that would cost millions of dollars to investigate using a scientific vessel,” the researchers note. [Science via NBC News]

One such species that feeds on the open water is the endangered Hawaiian Petrel (pictured below via Wikimedia Commons), the focus of a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers studied isotope records from modern and ancient petrel bones to examine dietary changes over time. Results indicated a radical shift in availability of fish, most likely explained by the marked rise of the commercial fishing industry over the past century. [Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]

—Also: Greenpeace unveils a new ad targeting plastic pollution and the soda industry in Australia. [HuffPost Green]

—In Northern California, advocates for the Marbled Murrelet are calling on California State Parks to act further in protecting nesting habitat for the endangered bird in Big Basin State Park. Earlier today, the State Parks Commission was scheduled to meet regarding the murrelet habitat (if you attended, let us know what happened!). Audublog wrote recently of the species:

Unlike other seabirds which nest primarily on islands, marbled murrelets nest in large, flat branches of old-growth coastal trees such as redwoods and sitka spruce. They are so secretive that scientists did not know where they nested until the 1970s. […]

The Santa Cruz mountains are the last stronghold for central California’s murrelets, with the population of about 450 individuals nesting mostly in Big Basin State Park. According to experts, the population has declined by about 35% in the last 10 years, due mostly to nest predation by jays, crows and ravens, the group of our native birds known as corvids. Major campgrounds are located in the heart of old growth redwood habitat in Big Basin State Park, providing ample food and supporting population growth of these nest predators.

Audubon, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other groups have praised California State Parks for scrapping plans to build cabins in a sensitive breeding site, but have called on the agency to “dramatically reduce recreation and camping in three other core murrelet breeding areas, especially during the nesting season.” [Audublog]

—In the U.K., wildlife activists are concerned about the presence of a new, whitish slick seen from the air and believed to be the substance polyisobutene, or PIB, which has already killed thousands of seabirds that have washed up on the beaches of Devon and Cornwall. Polyisobutene is used in ship engines; earlier this month, the BBC reported that the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) was still working to determine the source of the pollution. [BBC News]

This latest slick has affected Common Guillemots, known as Common Murres in North America (pictured below). Earlier this year, International Bird Rescue cared for dozens of Common Murres oiled by natural seepage off the Southern California coast.

Common Murres, photo by Bill Steinkamp

All photos by Kylie Clatterbuck

On Tuesday, high winds toppled this tree near the Ports O’Call Village in San Pedro, located not far from our Los Angeles wildlife care center. Sadly, this tree was a rookery for many Black-crowned Night Herons and Snowy Egrets, and the scene was littered with broken eggs.

But the L.A. Harbor Department’s tree crew from its construction and maintenance team responded quickly to the fallen tree and rescued a total of 15 baby birds — 12 Black-crowned Night Herons and three Snowy Egrets.

Whenever possible, we will attempt to reunite baby birds that have fallen out of nests with their parents. Clearly we couldn’t do that in this case, and placing them in an adjacent tree wasn’t a feasible alternative. So we’re happy to report that all these baby birds are now in our care. They range from a Snowy Egret that likely hatched just a day or two ago to Black-crowned Nigh Herons that were close to fledging their nests.

Baby Black-crowned Night Herons

“All the babies were in great shape when they arrived, full bellies from being fed by mom earlier that day, and are eating well on their own,” staff rehabilitation technician Kylie Clatterbuck reports. “Aside from a few minor abrasions, they all look great.”

Snowy Egrets

We’ll keep you posted on their progress at our L.A. center. In the meantime, please consider supporting the care for these animals by visiting birdrescue.org/donate.

Adult Black-crowned Night Heron (left) by Jackie Wollner; adult Snowy Egret by Frank Schulenberg via Wikimedia Commons.

Photo by Dr. Rebecca Duerr

This Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia) was rescued by Long Beach Animal Control unable to fly. We found him to have not only a broken right wing, but also a broken left leg. Our veterinarian, Dr. Rebecca Duerr, performed orthopedic surgery Sunday to repair the leg while the wing heals in a wrap. The photo below shows the left leg post-operation.

The largest tern species, Caspian Terns feed mainly on fish via plunge diving and primarily nest on offshore islands. They are commonly seen in Southern California, and our organization has deep experience in caring for them. In 2006, International Bird Rescue assisted in the recovery effort of hundreds of dead baby Caspian and Elegant Terns washed off a barge docked in Long Beach.

In the wake of that disaster, we raised a few young Caspian Tern survivors — a challenge, given they were resistant to learning how to catch live fish and often begged. To give them the best chance of survival, we released these birds at a Caspian Tern colony in the Salton Sea, where they would be surrounded by other young birds learning to fish.

We’ll keep you posted on this tern’s condition as its wing and leg heals.

Additional reading on Caspian Terns:

—Species profile via All About Birds

—Audubon efforts to restore tern habitat in the San Francisco Bay

—Los Angeles Times coverage on the baby tern barge incident from 2006

A few months ago, we launched the Pelican Aviary Project, our first foray into the world of online crowdfunding via Indiegogo. With a big help from both our local supporters and pelican enthusiasts from Hawaii to Norway, we raised over $16,000 for a new aviary at the San Francisco Bay Oiled Bird Care and Education Center in Fairfield, Calif. (Click here for a list of aviary supporters who helped us surpass our original 15K goal.)

Why do we need this project?

Several years ago, we built a large aviary for rehabilitating injured aquatic species such as pelicans. The enclosure was constructed to the highest standards possible with the funding we had at the time. But with the ever-increasing number of pelicans coming to us, we need to do some major renovations. Price tag: an estimated $45,000.

We’ve received generous support from the Solano County Fish and Wildlife Propagation Fund, the Oiled Wildlife Care Network … and you!

And we’re excited to report that we’ve broken ground for the new and improved aviary. Pelicans being treated at this facility were recently transported to our Los Angeles center to complete their rehabilitation while renovations are underway.

Here’s an update from San Francisco Bay center manager Michelle Bellizzi:

With the help of truly amazing people — including every staff member, our interns, every volunteer, as well as our neighbors at Solano County Roofing, Hudson Excavation and D&T Fiberglass — our pelican aviary prep work is complete, and we are now just waiting for the concrete work to begin. A few days early, no less!

Among the tasks our intrepid team has completed:

-Dug trenches for relocating the electrical outlets
-Mowed and cleaned the yard to make way for equipment
-Moved filters and pumps
-Moved two 35 foot-by-10 foot fiberglass pools

All of this work and more is in addition to taking care of birds, building duckling boxes, repairing our other aviaries, cleaning the center and preparing it for “busy season.”

Here are some photos of the project and the team at work:

These amazing local businesses were on hand for their expertise:

-Hudson Excavation donated both time and materials toward helping us remove the west fence to provide access for the contractors. Our California Department of Fish and Wildlife volunteers finished the job.

-D&T Fiberglass disassembled the pools in addition to staying for several hours to help us move the pools.

-Solano County Roofing not only donated a forklift to help us, but also donated their time and brought in “The Big Gun” — a giant, all-terrain behemoth with 12-foot forks. This came in handy when the forklift was not quite as effective as we’d hoped. The Big Gun, expert driver and our makeshift crew were able to move all four pool halves in one-tenth the time it would have taken our crew alone, with about one-tenth the blood, sweat and tears.

In the coming weeks we’ll keep you posted on our progress. Thanks!

Brown Pelican photo (above) and American White Pelican photo (top) by Bill Steinkamp.

Photo by Sophie Webb, PRBO Conservation Science via San Francisco Chronicle

What’s new?

—In what may be a first for the Pacific Ocean, a Northern Gannet has been spotted in the Farallon Islands, an important breeding ground for many seabirds located off the coast of San Francisco. “The fact that a Northern Gannet found its way to the Farallon Islands is truly extraordinary,” PRBO Farrallon program leader Russell Bradley told the San Francisco Chronicle. A species native to the Atlantic, Northern Gannets were among the birds cared for by International Bird Rescue during the Gulf Oil Spill in 2010. The Chronicle also notes other wayward birds that have been found in Northern California, including a Magnificent Frigatebird that showed up in Sonoma County and was cared for at our San Francisco Bay center in 2008. [San Francisco Chronicle]

—British schoolchildren rally for hundreds of seabirds, dead and dying, that have been found coated with a substance known as polyisobutene, or PIB, on the beaches of Devon and Cornwall. Polyisobutene is used in ship engines; the BBC reports that the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is still working to determine the source of the pollution. [BBC; Plymouth Herald]

—HuffPost Green reports on birds of prey falling victim to landfill gas flaring from California to New York. [Huffington Post]

—Birders pen a petition on Change.org urging CalTrans to remove exclusion netting on the Petaluma River Bridge in Northern California that has led to the deaths of many Cliff Swallows. [Change.org]

—Photographer Lars Tunbjork takes a look at the world’s largest falcon hospital, located in Abu Dhabi, for The New York Times Magazine:

 When Dr. Margit Muller, the hospital’s director, describes a typical day there, it sounds much like a place devoted to the treatment of human patients: conducting rounds, checking up on the administration of medication, surgery. “Falcons are regarded like children in a family,” Muller says. “The way the Emirati falconers treat their falcons like their family members makes this work so much more precious.” [NYT]

Lars Tunbjork for the New York Times

This Barn Owl hatchling made its debut this week at International Bird Rescue!

On April 11, two Barn Owl eggs were delivered to International Bird Rescue from the Lindsay Wildlife Museum in Walnut Creek. Both eggs were placed in IBR’s state-of-the-art egg incubator. And then … we waited.

On the afternoon of April 18, one of the eggs had begun pipping as the tiny chick inside started to peck its way out of its shell. By the time staff had arrived the following morning, a check on things in the incubator revealed that this little bird had completely broken through and had hatched.

International Bird Rescue often partners with other local wildlife rehabilitators like the Lindsay Wildlife Museum. In this case, we were able to help by providing the special incubator and optimum environment for this egg to hatch. Working collaboratively with other centers ensures that we are all able to provide the highest and most comprehensive care to the animals that need it.

While this baby owl has now been transferred back to the raptor experts at Lindsay Wildlife Museum for care and feeding, many other orphaned and injured baby birds continue to arrive at our wildlife centers. Through the generosity and caring of our donors, these little chicks receive a warm and cozy enclosure and regular feeding and care until they are able to fend for themselves in the wild. We are very grateful for your support.

Photo by Bill Steinkamp

Saturday, April 20, marks the three-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. But it’s also a day of events celebrating Earth Day 2013 (which falls on Monday), and a time to renew our commitment and responsibility to the environment and to wildlife.

International Bird Rescue is participating in several events on the West Coast. Want to join us? Here’s the download:

1. Los Angeles area: Pelican release at Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes

We’re excited to join our friends at Terranea for an inaugural pelican release at their wonderful oceanside resort!

Where: Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes (see map below, zoom as needed). The Release will take place at the resort’s Cove. We may have multiple Brown Pelicans to release back into their natural habitat in celebration of this day.

When: Saturday at 10am

Terranea Resort will provide validated parking for guests of the release. Guests can bring their tickets to the Pointe Discovery area of the resort where staff can validate.

For more information on the resort, click here. International Bird Rescue executive director Jay Holcomb will be on hand to answer questions about these birds and provide their backstory.

Donations to International Bird Rescue by guests in attendance for the release are most welcomed!

2. San Francisco Bay Area: John Muir Birthday-Earth Day Celebration

We’ll be on hand at this great festival, which features music, a silent auction, tours of John Muir’s 1882 Victorian home and a keynote lecture by wildlife expert and Contra Costa Times columnist Gary Bogue.

Where: John Muir National Historical Site in Martinez (see map below). Free parking at Martinez Adult School.

When: Saturday, April 20th from 10am to 4pm.

Looking for other Earth Day events? The Sierra Club has a good list of what’s going on, for starters. Find more happenings via KQED for Northern California as well as info on WorldFest in Los Angeles.

We’re pleased to report that the Greylag Goose recently brought to International Bird Rescue’s San Francisco Bay center with an arrow wound through its neck is doing well.

Center Manager Michelle Bellizzi informs us that the goose has “graduated to a water-based aviary in preparation for his/her placement/return to Napa Wildlife,” the organization that had captured the bird and brought it to us for surgery and care (read more on this bird’s treatment and surgery by Dr. Rebecca Duerr here).

According to local reports, an individual has stepped forward in this incident. Via Napa Valley Register, which was a key media source in solving this case:

A 14-year-old boy who lives along the Napa River admitted shooting a Graylag goose in the neck with an arrow in late March, Napa County Sheriff’s Capt. Tracey Stuart said Wednesday.

The boy said he meant to shoot the rubber-tipped practice arrow into the ground to shoo a gaggle of geese away from the family’s yard, she said.

[...]

“The young man was visibly upset, very remorseful about hurting the goose and has no history of similar behavior,” Stuart said.

The case was discussed with a prosecutor from the Napa County District Attorney’s Office, Stuart said. “It is likely that the young man will be devoting many hours to community service, helping and learning about animals,” she said.

Read the full article here.

Unfortunately, cases like this one are rarely solved. According to The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS):

—Wildlife officials estimate that nationwide, tens of millions of animals are killed illegally each year.

—It is estimated that only 1 percent to 5 percent of poached animals come to the attention of law enforcement.

In California, animal cruelty is a felony and police take animal cruelty cases seriously. With the goose and arrow as evidence, the Napa Police began a criminal investigation and the HSUS put up a reward of $5,000 for evidence leading to arrest (null in this case, as the offender turned himself in).

Many individuals and organizations came together to help this goose, including:

—Kerana Todorov, crime reporter at the Napa Valley Register (follow her on Twitter @NVRkerana)

—Michelle Anderson at Wildlife Rescue Center of Napa County and her rescue team

—Jennifer Fearing at HSUS (@JenniferFearing)

—Nick Janes, reporter at CBS 13 Sacramento (@nick_janes)

—Sargent Oscar Ortiz, Napa Police Animal Services

—Rebecca Duerr, DVM MPVM at International Bird Rescue

—Our volunteers and staff who have cared for this beautiful Greylag Goose, now looking for a safe and proper home! —Karen Benzel

This juvenile killdeer is currently in care at our San Francisco Bay center. Photo by Cheryl Reynolds.

See our latest count of birds in care here.