International Bird Rescue

Photo by Cheryl Reynolds

Photo by Michelle Bellizzi

This male Red-breasted Merganser (Mergus serrator) was recently sent to us from a rehabilitation group in Arizona that was unfamiliar with the species and lacked appropriate water caging. “The bird was found to have a fractured clavicle, a wound on its wing and foot lesions,” says Michelle Bellizzi, center manager of International Bird Rescue’s San Francisco Bay center. “The foot lesions were likely the result of captivity. It was the fractured clavicle and wing injury that brought it into care.” After several weeks of rehabilitation at our center, this bird was released nearby.

The Red-breasted Merganser is one of three species of mergansers in North America. Known for their thin, serrated bills to catch fish prey, Red-breasted Mergansers are “bold world traveler[s], plying icy waters where usually only scoters and eiders dare to tread,” 10,000 Birds notes. “While all mergansers are swift fliers, the Red-breast holds the avian record for fastest level-flight at 100 mph.”

A close-up of the Red-breasted Merganser’s serrated, “toothy” bill. Photo by Dr. Rebecca Duerr.

Below, the merganser is released back into the wild.

Photo by Nicole Maclennan

During this past winter, a number of California Brown Pelicans were reported to have traveled well north of their usual habitat – British Columbia, to be exact.

Several of these birds settled in Victoria’s inner harbour, and three were found to have parasites, frostbite, and in the case of one pelican, wounds that may have been from fishing hook injuries.

After weeks of planning and the securing of appropriate permits, the birds were flown south via commercial jet cargo to International Bird Rescue’s Los Angeles wildlife care center, which is equipped with the large aviaries necessary to successfully treat aquatic birds of this size. These pelicans were released at Terranea Resort in nearby Rancho Palos Verdes on April 20, 2013.

Photos and video by Bill Steinkamp. Music by Wired Ant. View the full-size video here.

Find out how you can get involved with pelicans through our Pelican Partner program.

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.

This Great Egret (Ardea alba) was treated for multiple wing fracture and a leg wound in spring 2013. Here, Los Angeles center manager Julie Skoglund releases the bird. Video by Dr. Rebecca Duerr.

In these trying times, an image of simple compassion and care can have a profound effect on the viewer. Here’s one that recently moved us:

This past weekend, International Bird Rescue rehabilitation technician Kelly Berry released five Common Murres at the Malibu Pier. If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that our Los Angeles center received a heavy influx of oiled seabirds earlier this year, mostly Common Murres that were found beached along the Southern California coast.

Our favorite detail of this release: “Once all of the birds were in the ocean, they jointly made the signature Murre call and headed out to the open ocean,” Berry reports. “This photo was their last look at the shore.”

Thanks to Kelly’s husband, Paul, for taking such a memorable shot.

See more on the murre influx from winter 2013 here.

East Bay Regional Park District supervising naturalist and KQED QUEST contributor Sharol Nelson-Embry recently wrote a blog post on this Common Loon, found wrapped in fishing line by park visitor Martha Ashton-Sikora. Upon transfer to International Bird Rescue’s San Francisco Bay center, X-rays later showed this bird had also swallowed a hook (both are common predicaments we see in our bird patients).

Fellow park district supervising naturalist James Frank recently sent us these photos of the loon’s release at Crown Memorial State Beach. Above, Ashton-Sikora, IBR volunteer Dawn Furseth and Trevor, a staffer with East Bay Regional Park District, give the loon a great send-off. Thanks, team!

As you may have read recently on this blog, our Los Angeles center has had a busy season with oiled Common Murres — medium-sized seabirds that nest on rocky cliffs. Natural oil seepage off the Santa Barbara coast is to blame; because these oiled birds are affected by natural causes rather than a human-caused oil spill, the high cost of rehabilitating these animals falls largely on IBR and other area wildlife groups.

We’re pleased to report that we’ve rehabilitated many of these birds and have begun releasing them back to the wild.

Last week, volunteer photographer/videographer Bill Steinkamp filmed evaluations and releases of three such Common Murres. Here, staff rehab technician Kylie Clatterbuck and intern Andrea Murrieta check waterproofing and band a murre ready for release.

Photos by Cheryl Reynolds

A few weeks ago, we wrote about two juvenile Western Gulls who were saved thanks to the fast action of the Vallejo Police, the U.S. Coast Guard and International Bird Rescue staff. The gulls were spotted at the Vallejo Marina entangled together in fishing line, mired in mud and facing a rising tide that would have drowned them.

One of the birds had a severely swollen wing and a foot injury requiring surgery. As both birds were caked in mud upon intake, they received warm baths, pain medication, antibiotics and lots of fish.

The free fish and caring treatments didn’t endear them to staff and volunteers, however. “It was apparent that once they started to feel better, not only didn’t they like each other, but also they didn’t like being around us, fish or no fish,” said Michelle Bellizzi, rehabilitation manager at International Bird Rescue’s San Francisco Bay Area center in Cordelia. “They didn’t even look back when they were released!”

The gull with lesser complications was released last week, while the other that had undergone surgery was released earlier this week at Ft. Baker.

Special thanks to the Coast Guard and Mike Jory of the Vallejo Times-Herald for documenting their rescue and bringing front-page attention to the misery that fishing tackle can cause birds and other marine animals.

Photo by Cheryl Reynolds

This Red-tailed Hawk was brought to our San Francisco Bay Area wildlife care center via Solano County Animal Control with a fractured leg (the bird was also dehydrated and emaciated).

Our veterinarian, Dr. Rebecca Duerr, splinted the fracture, and the bird was successfully transferred to another facility on Wednesday.

Though International Bird Rescue primarily works with aquatic birds, we also treat non-aquatic species. Here are just a few in the past year:

-Sharp-shinned Hawk contaminated with glue trap material

-Wild Turkey shot with a target arrow

-Western Screech Owl that had flown into insulation foam 

Photo by Cheryl Reynolds

The two Western Gulls from last week’s great gull rescue in the low-tide mud flats at Vallejo Marina are doing well and on the mend, our San Francisco Bay Area wildlife care center staff reports.

Warmest thanks to the U.S. Coast Guard for their hard work in saving these wonderful birds.

Cheryl Reynolds