[EBB Sightings] Oiled bird info

 Dear EBBers-

Due to the level of concern and frustration, I decided to talk with the Rehabilitation Hospital Director at the Lindsey Wildlife Museum  in Walnut Creek. She was able to give me some  facts about the oiled bird situation.  Lindsey is not directly doing cleaning, but is doing stabilization of the birds and transport to The Oiled Wildlife Care Network in Cordelia. That's were the action is. Their website is owcn.org.  So far, the number of birds received at OWCN facilities: 94 live, 24 dead as of this morning. The OWCN is run by UC Davis, and works under the auspices of the International Bird Rescue Research Center: IRBC.org.  Both have good websites with up-to-date news about our spill, AND both are non-profits. Because there has been a responsible party identified for this spill, both centers will eventually get reimbursed for their work after the lawsuits settle. However, a donation would help greatly to help birds rescued independent of this spill, and the organizations in genera
l.

As heartbreaking and frustrating as it is to see oiled birds, here's the advice that Marsha gave about finding and reporting birds:

-This is a particularly nasty kind of oil in terms of the organic aromatic substances that it carries. So if you can smell it, it's a hazard to you, too.  If the beach is posted, don't go out there.  It can cause lung problems for both us and the birds.  And, as you all know, don't pick up a bird own your own.

-Depending on the degree of oiling and the species, birds can survive from hours to days.  The main killer is hyperthermia, or low body temperature.  The oil coats their feathers and the bird's natural waterproofing is destroyed.  Inhaling fumes, ingesting the oil during preening, and energy loss due to increased preening are also causes of death.

-If you see a bird or birds, get the location as precisely as possible.  GPS coordinates are the best.  Record  numbers of birds affected; if they are in the water or beached; and species ID if you can.

-If there are several people at the beach looking for birds, have only one person call and report it.  THE REASON THAT IT IS TAKING SO LONG TO GET THOUGH IS BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE LEAVING LONG, RAMBLING, NON-SPECIFIC MESSAGES.  If they don't know where the bird or birds are, they can't help.

- That was her most important message: report precisely and consisely, then get off the line.  

OWCN has a message on their website that is being updated daily about the need for volunteers.  As of today, they don't need anyone else, but continue to check if you are interested.  However, working with the birds in hand takes special certification.  Made me think that perhaps more of us should go out and get certified to help.  Apparently, oiled birds turn up from all kinds of situations during all times of the year.  Last year, a tanker truck overturned near Livermore and spilled oil directly into a creek.  Earlier this year, a fishing boat dumped a large quantity of suntan oil into the bay and birds  became oiled and hyperthermic. This is a big spill with a lot of publicity, so it gets our attention and concern.  I didn't know about the other causes of oiled birds.

Hope this helps.  It won't necessarily make any of us feel any better about what happened, but our dollars and our reporting can make a difference.   

Sincerely,

Pat Bacchetti, DVM








If you would like to make a donation:
please email wildlifehealth at ucdavis.edu

If you would like to make a donation:
please email wildlifehealth at ucdavis.edu

ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO BAY OIL SPILL, November 2007
Update day, Saturday, 11:30 a.m.