Bird Cams Around the World

Video: Western Grebes Banded for Release

Two Western Grebes are ready to be released! They are removed from their pool (note the Common Murre, who jumps up on the haul-out) and brought inside. The hospital band is removed and replaced with a US Fish and Wildlife Service band. Then each Grebe is gently placed in a carrier. They were released in Berkeley's Eastshore Park. They must be set directly into the water, as they can't walk on land.

The woman banding the birds is Marie, our Assistant Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager. She is very gentle and very efficient.

One of the Grebes came in on Christmas day. He was very ill, and seemed to have some problems with balance. We thought he wouldn't survive, but we did our best for him. Surprise! He did very well and his release is a celebration!

Thanks, Beth!

If you look at the picture of the Western Grebe getting a band, you can see the healed hock wound. Had this wound not healed, the little Grebe could not return to the water and thus could not be released back into the wild. This is one of the reasons we are so careful to protect their delicate feet and hocks when they are in our hospital and out of water. We try to get them into the water as soon as possible: hospital pool and then outdoor pool.

Booties, donuts, and net-bottomed pens help. The net-bottomed pen is much better for birds who live in the water.

We'll discuss, later, how booties and donuts are life-savers.

Video: A Brown Pelican Gets a Bath

As you know, oiled birds are not waterproof. The cold water of oceans, rivers, and lakes will penetrate their oiled feathers and reach their skin. The cold water quickly chills the bird, lowering his temperature dramatically, a death sentence. Waterproof feathers insulate birds against heat and cold and allow them to thermoregulate, keeping their body temperature within a safe range.

Sometimes birds are oiled by fuel oil (as in the Cosco Busan Oil Spill), algae blooms, or even sitting on oily fish.

All of our storm battered pelicans needed to be washed. I didn't have time to make a video of the washroom, it was just too busy. But I do have this video, which will show you a pelican getting a bath.

This California Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis californicus) is not very soiled, so he requires only two tubs of "soapy" water. We use Dawn detergent, which is donated by Proctor and Gamble. The detergent does a good job of removing oily substances, does not burn delicate skin, and rinses clean. After the bird is washed, he is thoroughly rinsed with an oxygenated showerhead. The water in the tubs and shower is very warm, ensuring that the birds do not become cold during the process. As his feathers are rinsed, they are no longer matted down. They stand up and look dry, as the water runs off of them. This is the first step in waterproofing.

After his shower, he is wrapped in a sheet and taken to a large pelican box with a special fan to blow warm air at him. He then begins to preen his feathers, the final step in waterproofing.

Note how the techs hold the pelican's bill. Pelicans do not have nares (nostrils), so they must breathe through their mouths. The tech is very careful to hold the bill in such a way that it is open, not closed. The entire washing/rinsing procedure is not shown in this video, as it would be too long for YT. To prevent the bird from getting chilled in his bath, we try to keep his body under the water, while keeping his head above water. Pelicans insist on standing up, and it's not easy to get them to sit in the tub.

Actually there are two different pelicans in the video. After the first pelican was washed, I put my camera into my pocket and went to assist with the rinse process. I wore a long plastic apron and huge rubber boots. My job was to hold the head and the bill of the pelican, keeping it open so he (or she!) could breathe. When the next pelican was washed, someone else held his head and beak, so I filmed part of the shower process. You can see how steamy it gets in the wash room: my camera lens was steaming up.

Note: The pelicans are not coated with fuel oil, thus no gloves are worn.

Brown Pelicans Struggling to Survive



From the LA Times, reporting from Astoria, Oregon: “All along the Oregon coast over the last month, hundreds of brown pelicans have turned up dead, starving or begging for food.

As many as 1,000 of the gangly seabirds failed to make their annual fall migration to California, many instead winding up at Oregon's rehabilitation centers.

Those that did head south, leaving the Pacific Northwest winter behind, were battered by California's recent storms. Shelters in San Pedro and the San Francisco Bay Area (Fairfield) are also full of emaciated pelicans.

Researchers, at a loss to explain the casualties, are looking at unusual ocean currents and the depletion of fish stocks -- as well as warmer temperatures, toxic runoff and algae blooms -- as possible causes.

Meanwhile, pelicans are sitting listlessly on beaches and scavenging outside restaurants and canneries.

"In one parking lot, there were people in cars surrounded by pelicans asking for food. We have never seen that before," said Roy Lowe, project leader for the Oregon Coast National Wildlife Refuge Complex. "These birds literally have lost all fear of humans."

In San Pedro, the International Bird Rescue Research Center has taken in about 130 pelicans; a similar number are at the center's Northern California facility.

"We've had unprecedented numbers coming in. Is it some kind of natural die-off? Is it related to some kind of changes in the fish supply? All we know is, we are reaching capacity," said Paul Kelway of the San Pedro facility.

This is the second straight year that a large number of pelicans have remained in Oregon rather than trek to the warmer, quieter waters of California and Baja. From 1918 to 2002, the Audubon Society tallied fewer than 100 pelicans in Oregon every winter. Then the number shot up to 554 birds. In 2008, 3,647 stayed.

This year's count isn't in, but experts believe that about 3,100 birds remained along the Oregon coast…”

You can read the rest of the story Here

Wow Beans, I can't imagine holding so many pelicans. I guess they are released after they get food and recover? Changes in climate seem to be causing disruptions to nature in many places

This rescue was posted on the Dunedin site




JAZZEL

Brown Pelicans are still in trouble. They were removed from the Endangered Species list in November, 2009, but if these problems keep happening, they will have a much decreased population.

This video, on SavingSeabirds YT site, shows you how the Brown Pelicans were netted and brought inside to warm up and dry in San Pedro, IBRRC Fairfield's sister center:

video: Rescuing Pelicans

You are most welcome.

I've now gone to two training sessions at Lindsay Wildlife Museum, with three to go. I'll be working there and at IBRRC. Lindsay has all wildlife, except marine mammals. It's a lot of new information for me!

I also took a two hour seminar (on the web - it's a webinar) from the Oiled wildlife Care Network. And I passed the exam, also on the net.

The more I learn, the more convinced I am that I know so little.

Update on the Dunedin Eagle


Clinic Update 2/20/2010: The Osprey had to be euthanized because the wing was broken in multiple places and there was no chance of recovery. If it had been possible it would have been set. She had excellent weight on her so would have suffered for quite awhile before she died. http://www.seabirdsanctuary.com/ To report injured birds in the Tampa Bay area please call 727-391-6211.


JAZZEL

The constant hum of the machines kept me awake during those long days. I shouted for my captors to release me but their mad rantings were unintelligible. The worst part was the waiting. Even now, the memory of those enormous hands clamping down on my throat and prying my mouth open makes m blood turn to ice. If only I had never hit that window and met that orange tabby....

Excerpted from Memoirs of a House Finch

The training at Lindsay Wildlife Museum progresses, and yesterday we discussed the philosophy of handling. The goal is to reduce the stress of the animals we care for as much as possible with proper handling techniques. Many of the animals are injured, unstable and easily stressed. Unnecessary physical exertion can tip the balance toward delayed healing or even death.

Much was said in this very special topic. One thing stands out in my mind: Keep an eye on how the animal is behaving. Is he calm, bouncing around or near comatose? Watch what he does as you approach. Tr to anticipate his actions. Knowing the general personalities of a species can help, but noting the actual personality of one's patient is even more valuable.

I was glad to learn Lindsay also uses the metric system for weights and measures, as does IBRRC. I know what 22 grams feels like (small duckling) and what 50 cc looks like. Very accurate measurements and easy to remember.

Reading the tiny markings on the 1 mL (1 cc) tuberculin (TB) syringe is a challenge for me, but with great concentration and good light I can do it. These syringes are calibrated in hundredths. Originally designed for the small dosages required for tuberculin skin testing, they are also widely used in a variety of sensitivity and allergy tests for people. We use them at IBRRC for oral medication.


TB syringe

We also discussed basic bird and mammal anatomy. (I was glad to have the Manual of Ornithology[i] and [i]Handbook of Bird Biology at home. I've gone through the entire manual but haven't finished the handbook. Very good information here and a good reference.)

Here are some basics:

EXTERNAL COVERING

Birds:
skin (dry, inelastic, thin, loosely attached)
feathers
no growth once fully formed
purpose: flight, insulation, display, nesting
different types

Mammals:
skin and fur

SKELETAL SYSTEM

Birds:
bird bones are hollow (pneumatic bones)
breast muscles = 20% of body weight
some bones fused together, i.e., chest bones

Mammals:
denser bones, but baby animals have fragile bones
bones not fused; attached to each other with ligaments

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM

Birds:
No diaphragm
Have a more efficient respiratory system
air sac system - gas flows through lungs during inspiration and expiration
danger of suffocation - can suffocate if held too tightly

Mammals:
Have diaphragm

EXCRETION
Birds:
urine and feces combined before exiting
the ureters "milk" the semisolid urine down to the cloaca where it mixes with the feces
dangerous if vent (exit below cloaca) becomes clogged

Mammals:
urine and feces separate
dangerous if anus or opening of the urethra becomes clogged

Note: only one bird excretes urine separately from feces. Does anyone know which bird that is?

You are right!!

Thanks for all the great info, Beans, & for all you do to help these wonderful birds!

Video: Young Western Gull Injured by Fishing Line Strung over City Dump

On Monday I picked up a young Western Gull from Animal Services in Berkeley. He had been caught in fishing line strung over the Berkeley Dump. The fishing line was put up to to keep out birds. He was found dangling by one wing.

His Federal USFWS band, #1136-01911, allowed us to identify him. He had been with us last year, as a baby gull. We picked him up from Monterey SPCA on July 13, 2009. He was had been abandoned and weighed 465 grams. He did very well in our care, grew into a beautiful juvenile, passed his flight test, and weighed 1155 grams when we released him on August 21, 2009 at the Berkeley Marina.

Each year about 15 - 20 birds get caught in fishing line at this dump, and few survive. It must be a terrifying, painful death.

This young gull is bright, alert and has attitude! He bit three of us at International Bird Rescue Research Center. Thats normal for a healthy gull: they do not like to be handled! We care about him, and every effort will be made by our dedicated staff and volunteers at IBRRC to help heal. Sadly, if he cannot fly again, he cannot be released, and he will be euthanized.

I would like to add that the officers at Animal Services are also upset about the fishing line. They have cut down so many birds, and it makes them very sad. They must be hoisted up on some kind of lift to reach the birds entangled in the fishing line. They are very gentle, but its usually too late.

The Western Gull is a federally protected species, under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. The MBTA was born in an era when people adorned their hats with egret feathers, and signed their letters with pelican-quill pens. This act assures the protection of a healthy environment for people, fish and wildlife, and helps Americans conserve and enjoy our living treasures.

And yes. I will work on getting the fishing line removed. Birds either do not see or do not associate fishing line with danger. It was certainly a poor choice.

That is just terrible
I have my grandson with me most of the time when I go down to the river behind the house he is always seeing fishing line that just gets let to float or hang on branches if he can't reach it to throw it in the fire pit he has his little tizzy fit til I get it