WILDLIFE CONSERVATION & REHABILITATION~2010 & 2011

skygirlblue · **Joined:** Sun Jul 26, 2009 3:18 pm **Posts:** 63313

We are fortunate to have several rehabbers/banders/trackers/watchers as members of BCAW. This forum has been created in order to give you the opportunity to share your experiences and pictures~whether it be the transport of an eagle to a new home, feeding newly hatched baby birds, rescuing possums from a neighbor's pool, or cleaning out all those cages!!! "This one's for YOU"!!

In addition, this is also a place to post the many conservation efforts taking place across the globe...

Enjoy!!!

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 7:57 pm

I am so glad to see this new thread!

Let me begin by quoting my favorite passage from The Outermost House, written in 1928, by Henry Beston:

"We need another and a wiser and perhaps a more mystical concept of animals. Remote from universal nature, and living by complicated artifice, man in civilization surveys the creature through the glass of his knowledge and sees thereby a feather magnified and the whole image in distortion. We patronize them for their incompleteness, for their tragic fate of having taken form so far below ourselves. And therein we err, and greatly err. For the animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older and more complete than ours they move finished and complete, gifted with extensions of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren, they are not underlings; they are other nations, caught with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the splendour and travail of the earth."

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:00 pm

I have been volunteering at the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Fairfield, California, since 2007. Our sister center is located in San Pedro, California.

The International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) has been helping birds around the world since 1971. Its mission is to mitigate human impact on aquatic birds and other wildlife. This is achieved through rehabilitation, emergency response, education, research, planning and training.

IBRRC Website

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:03 pm

In 1971 two Standard Oil tankers collided beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, spilling 900,000 gallons of crude oil. Little was known about oiled bird care at that time and despite the courageous, attempts of hundreds of volunteers, only 300 birds survived from the 7,000 birds collected.

oiled surf scoter

After the February 1971 spill a small group of volunteers formed the International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC). It's primary goals were developing oiled wildlife cleaning and rehabilitation techniques, promoting ongoing research in this field and providing oiled wildlife response capabilities. In 1975, IBRRC moved to permanent quarters at Aquatic Park in Berkeley, California.

As IBRRC began to grow, it responded to an increasing number of oil spills including spills outside of California, rapidly expanding its body of knowledge. IBRRC has cared for over 140 species of wild birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

In 1994, IBRRC joined California's Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN). This network has 24 participating organizations, permanent facilities and trained volunteers within the state. IBRRC acts as OWCN's primary bird response organization in California.

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:04 pm

Beginning in 2001, IBRRC helped open two new state-funded centers in California. In February, IBRRC moved from Berkeley to a new 10,000 square foot facility in the Cordelia/Fairfield area, about 45 miles from San Francisco. In March we opened a second facility in San Pedro near the busy Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor. Both are new additions to the Oiled Wildlife Care Network, for which we manage oil spill response within California.

With staff and the help of volunteers, we operate wildlife hospitals at both locations 365 days a year, where we continue to develop new and better treatments and protocols for aquatic birds and waterfowl. Both facilities have education programs for both students and volunteers wanting to be trained in oil spill response. IBRRC maintains a library in Fairfield that contains a plethora of literature on all subjects related to the field of oiled wildlife response and rehabilitation and the field of aquatic bird rehabilitation.

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:05 pm

With an oil spill response team of more than 25 wildlife experts , IBRRC has managed the oiled bird rehabilitation efforts in over 200 oil spills in 11 states, including the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. Our international work has taken us to seven different countries and two U.S. territories.

Oiled grebe

List of IBRRC Oil Spill Responses

IBRRC provides training and consultation to the petroleum industry, local, state, and federal Fish and Wildlife agencies, wildlife rehabilitators and researchers. Federal and state permits grant IBRRC permission to work with wild birds in captivity. IBRRC is a non-profit 501-c-3 organization that relies on the petroleum industry, fees for services, state generated response contracts, research grants, foundation grants, and individual contributions for financial support.

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:06 pm

I'm still not sure how I ended up volunteering at IBRRC.

I took an early retirement in September, 2007. I was going to stay home for six months, reading, gardening, learning to play bridge, and then volunteer at a local raptor center. My neighbor, Carol, had been urging me for the last year or so to volunteer at IBRRC. "That's too far away," I told her. "Besides, I would rather work with raptors."

On November 7, 2007, the Cosco Busan container ship collided with the Golden Gate Bridge, spilling almost 54,000 gallons of toxic bunker fuel into San Francisco Bay.

Cosco Busan with huge hole where it hit the bridge

I went to Fairfield and talked the volunteer coordinator into taking me, even though I had no experience.

More than 2,500 birds died in the spill. Wildlife biologists fear that more than 20,000 birds may ultimately perish from the disaster. They believe thousands of birds landed in the oily bay and then left the area to die elsewhere. Some also may have been eaten by predators.

Link to story in San Francisco Chronicle

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:10 pm

miserable oiled bird awaits intake at IBRRC

1,084 birds arrived at our hospital.
1,858 were found dead in the field.
653 died or were humanely euthanized in our hospital.
421 were washed, rehabilitated, and released back into the wild

a tiny grebe gets washed and rinsed

I was invited to my very first release in December. Instead of releasing this group of grebes, I decided to film them. My $99 Flip Video camera was hardly out of the box when I made the video. It was shown at the San Francisco Bay Film Festival the following Janaury. Here is the YouTube version:

video: Oiled Birds Washed and Released!

Even the park ranger took part --

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:14 pm

When we wash the birds we remove all the petroleum from their feathers and they are 100% clean. They go from the wash tub to the rinse station and there the soap, in our case Dawn dishwashing liquid, is rinsed thoroughly out of their feathers. The most amazing thing happens. As we rinse the soap out of their feathers with high pressure nozzles, their feathers actually become dry. So in essence we are drying their feathers with clean hot water. Its pretty cool and we are always amazed at their feathers' natural ability to repel water.

When the rinsing process is complete and all of the soap out of the feathers, the bird goes immediately into a drying pen. There the bird is dried with warm air from pet dryers. The same dryers used in grooming dogs. After the bird is 100% dry it goes into a pool and begins to swim, eat, bathe and preen its feathers. Each feather has microscopic barbs and barbule hookelets that are woven together during the preening process creating a water tight barrier and since the feathers are naturally repelling water, they all work together to provide an overall insulative barrier on the birds body like shingles on a roof.

Here is the biggest misconception: People think that we or the birds have to restore their natural oils. That is incorrect. Birds feathers are naturally waterproof as proven in the rinse. So, all the bird has to do is preen and get its feathers back in alignment and our job is to make sure the bird is clean and monitored while it is going through this process. The natural oils are really a conditioning agent that come from a gland at the base of the tail. Its called the uropygial gland and it aids in long term feather conditioning.

Dirty wings kill birds

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:15 pm

These pictures, from a previous oil spill, illustrate the dramatic difference between an oiled bird and a washed bird:

oiled brown pelican

same pelican after cleaning

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:18 pm

Here is a description of an oiled loon being washed:

First her oiled feathers are treated with Methyl oleate, which helps break down the oil. Next she is washed in tubs of warm water (about 106 F) with Dawn detergent. The oil inside her beak is removed with a Q-tip. She is washed in succeeding tubs of warm water until the water is clear of oil. We used 10 - 12 tubs of water for her.

Next she is given a thorough shower, to remove every trace of oil and detergent.

Finally she is wrapped in a soft towel and placed into a net bottom pen with a warm air fan. The towel is removed, and the pen is draped with a sheet to keep the warm air in and give her privacy.

When her feathers and skin are thoroughly dry, her waterproofing will be evaluated in one of our warm water pools. Finally she will be placed in a cool water pool outside, where she will continue to exercise, eat, and grow strong. When she is ready, she will be released back into the wild. (Yes, she was released after being banded with a USFWS silver leg band.)

video: An Oiled Loon Gets a Bath

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:20 pm

And now for a look at our hospital--

Here is the kitchen at IBRRC:

[img width=398 height=299]http://www.hancockwildlifechannel.org/mediagallery/mediaobjects/disp/1/1_jan_19_2008_-_kitchen_1.jpg[/img]
These side of the kitchen is used for washing implements

This side is used to defrost fish and prepare food for the birds

All net-bottomed pens, cages and small pools are draped with sheets or cage covers to give the birds privacy and help calm them while they heal. The large indoor pelican boxes are lined with several layers of sheets. The wall cages have special cage door covers. Before I made those, the cage doors were draped with towels, which made the cages dark.

Every morning, all linen is replaced. And linen is changed (and the cage or pen washed) when a new bird is introduced. The linens are shaken over a large garbage can (lined with a plastic contractor’s bag) in the laundry room. This gets rid of little fish pieces, greens, and dried feces before the linens are washed.

Here is the laundry room:

Laundry room with commercial washers and dryers

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:22 pm

Algae Bloom Crisis!

On October 22, there was a huge algae bloom in southern Washington and northern Oregon. Thousands of birds were impacted by this disaster. IBRRC supported The Wildlife Center of the North Coast in Astoria, Oregon, by taking around some birds from them. Within 4 days that Wildlife Center had received over 450 birds and more were arriving! Like oil spills, these algae events interfere with the waterproofing of the birds’ feathers. The birds become cold and beach themselves, where they are at the mercy of hypothermia and predators.

One of our experienced volunteers flew to Oregon, rented a huge van, and drove approximately 150 birds to our hospital. They arrive Saturday night, October 24, and volunteers and staff worked till 3 AM the next morning. The birds needed to be unloaded, hydrated with syringe and tube, donuts applied to their keels (to mitigate keel sores), and booties applied to their feet (to mitigate hock and foot sores). These are aquatic birds which do not belong on land. Here is a list of birds which arrived:

38 Grebes
51 Common Murres
40 Red-throated Loons
1 Pacific Loon
5 Common Loons
12 Scoters (approximate #)

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:23 pm

On October 26, the Coast Guard transported around 350 birds by plane from Oregon to Sacramento. We picked them up in several vans, and they arrived at our hospital Saturday night.

Murres waiting to be loaded onto plane

The above picture shows flight crewmembers from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento, Calif. and specialists from the International Bird Rescue Research Center loading pallets full of birdcages onto a C-130 Hercules aircraft.

Some of the cages being loaded

Slimed Loon in cage

video: Channel 7 News Report

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:25 pm

While we were in the middle of the agae bloom crisis, there was another bunker oil spill in San Francisco Bay at 6:45 AM on October 30.

A protective boom appears next to the Dubai Star in San Francisco Bay

To read the story and see the short video, go to this link:

Coast Guard Scoops Up Oil In San Francisco Bay

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:29 pm

A volunteer tubes a bird to keep him hydrated. She is putting medications into the tube, after which she will attach the large syringe filled with electrolyte or water or special formula, as ordered by our veterinarian. This is being done for all of the birds, at regular intervals. It is like an assembly line. Everything is organized, although it looks like chaos.

This bird is being rinsed after her wash. We used oxygenating showerheads and soft water. All of the detergent must be thoroughly rinsed from her feathers before she goes to the drying room. In the drying room, she will be placed in a net-bottomed pen with a special fan underneath directing warm air at her. The pen is covered with a sheet to keep her toasty warm.

This is one of the pelagic pools where washed birds swim to regain their strength. After they are washed, their waterproofing is thoroughly checked before they are put into the pool. In addition to our own pools, each of which is on a filter system, we have brought in temporary pools. With over 450 birds so far, we need these extra pools!

From the San Francisco Chronicle, October 28, 2009:

Quote:

The seabirds flew 700 miles from Oregon to Fairfield, but not under their own power: Stricken by toxic algae, they were loaded onto a Coast Guard plane for emergency care at a bird rescue center.
The migratory birds, including grebes, murres, scoters and loons, have lost their waterproofing ability as a result of what is known as an algal bloom, which slimes them, strips them of their natural oils and leaves them wet and cold. The more seriously affected birds drown or die of hypothermia.
The culprit is a species of phytoplankton that has flourished in the Northwest as a result of warmer-than-usual ocean temperatures. Stormy weather has churned up the water, creating a sudsy foam that disrupts the alignment of a bird's feathers, which act like shingles on a roof to protect the creatures from the elements.
Thousands of birds have died in the past week as a result of the phenomenon off the coast of Oregon and Washington.
About 150 injured birds found on beaches were taken by van from Portland to the International Bird Rescue Research Center in Fairfield, arriving Saturday night. On Monday, 305 more birds were put into crates and flown by a Coast Guard C-130 Hercules to McClellan Air Force Base in Sacramento before being brought to the center…
Each bird is expected to stay anywhere from a week to 10 days. The cost of caring for the birds is mounting, and although the treatment is similar to what would happen after an oil spill, there's no oil involved in this disaster - and that means no responsible party will foot the bill, Holcomb said.
A number of groups helped fund Saturday's transport, and the Coast Guard donated Monday's flight. But the cost of rehabilitating the birds is expected to exceed $50,000, said Paul Kelway, a center spokesman.

To read the article, go to this link: click here

Here's a video of the hospital, made on October 30. I used my tiny Flip Video on breaks. It fits into my pocket. Sorry no footage of the washroom where the birds get baths, but most of the birds were already washed by this date. The ones waiting for a bath weren't healthy enough to wash, so they need some more time.

video: Rescue & Rehab of Birds in Algae Bloom

We had about 80 experienced volunteers and staff. They came from wildlife centers all over California to help us! Normally, we have three staff and perhaps five or so volunteers each day.

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:31 pm

Dr. Ziccardi releases a Surf Scoter at Berkeley waterfront

Fourteen birds rescued from last month's Dubai Star oil spill in San Francisco Bay were released back into the wild yesterday, taking their first tentative swim in the bay waters in Berkeley before flying out of sight.

The birds seemed reluctant to leave their pet carriers and fly to freedom at first. But when one brave American coot slipped out of the cage and skipped out over the water, 10 others quickly followed…

Released American Coots

Eleven American coots, one surf scoter and two tiny dunlins were released on Friday. The birds were rescued a day or two after the Oct. 30 oil spill, which dumped 400 to 800 gallons of oil into the bay. The birds were treated at the San Francisco Bay Oiled Wildlife Care and Education Center (IBRRC) in Fairfield.

Two Dunlins enjoy their new freedom

A total of 49 oiled birds were taken our hosital - 10 had been released before Friday and another eight are still being treated. Seventeen birds died at the facility and another 20 birds were found dead on the shore after the oil spill.
Caregivers spend the first day or two after rescuing birds just keeping them warm and feeding them.

Once the birds are stable, they're thoroughly washed, in a mixture of water and Dawn detergent. Then they're rinsed off and dried with warm fans.
If their feathers appear healthy and normal, the birds are allowed into an outdoor pool to make sure their weatherproofing is working again and that the birds are behaving in a normal birdlike fashion. If they aren't doing well they may be washed again. Treatment can take a few days or a few weeks.

To read the rest of the article in the San Francisco Chronicle, CLICK HERE

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:45 pm

Emergency Wildlife Rescue

Most of the birds we admit to the hospital have been rescued by volunteers and staff, our own or those at other wildlife centers. The public also brings in sick or injured birds.

Safely catching an injured or sick bird isn’t easy. We never catch them in the air, as this would be very dangerous for the bird! It takes a great deal of patience and stealth to catch birds in the field. Oiled birds beach themselves, but they will quickly retreat to the cold water to avoid capture. It’s essential to position yourself between the bird and the water.

When I took the Emergency Wildlife Rescue class on January 17, one of the exercises was to catch a bird in the field. Naturally, we didn’t use real birds in this class. The instructor made this “RoboDuck” for us to practice with.

This video is from the last training with East Bay Regional Parks workers. The evil RoboDuck is able to reach a top speed of 35 miles an hour and simulates a wild bird's reluctance to be captured. It was built by Duane Titus of WildRescue.

The evil roboduck

Video: Robo Duck!

When we are trying to catch real birds, we are gentle, of course. Success means moving quietly in a very stealth-like way until one is close enough. No one can outrun a bird, even an oiled one. Exceptions would be pelagic birds which have their legs at the back of their body. They aren't meant to be on land, and are clumsy in their movements. These birds take off from the water. Ducks, on the other hand, are faster than fleas on skates!

According to IBRRC:

The first group of Wildlife Emergency Response classes have been a tremendous success. Thanks to the 385 committed folks who attended the trainings.

These classes grew out of an increased interest in animal capture and care by the public and public agencies following the November 2007 Cosco Busan spill. They wanted to learn more about how to help saved animals in crisis situation and IBRRC saw a new opportunity to enhance local capabilities to help wildlife in need of rescue and rehabilitation.

These all day programs were developed by WildRescue and put on by International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC), one of the world leaders in the recovery and care of oiled wildlife and aquatic birds.

I shall now answer the question you are all too polite to ask: Did I catch the Duck? Yes.

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:47 pm

I hope I'm not overwhelming you with all of this background information. I wanted to start from the beginning, so you could see these experiences unfold in what I hope is an organized way.

beans · **Posted:** Mon Jan 18, 2010 8:53 pm

2009 was a very busy year at IBRRC. It began with hundreds of pelicans at both of our centers (Fairfield and San Pedro), sick cormorants a bit later on, lots of natural seep oiled birds in San Pedro and many fish tackle and seal bite pelicans there and eventually in Cordelia, baby cormorants from eggs, 1,500 ducklings, and ended with the algae event and the Dubai Star oil spill.

That does not take into consideration all the wonderful birds that were considered “general rehab birds” throughout the year.

IBRRC cared for about 5,000 aquatic birds in 2009 and provided the best care we could for all of them. We released many of them (actual numbers to come in 2010) and each of those birds got a second chance primarily because of our great team of experienced & skilled staff and volunteers.

Good News: Dawn increased its donation to save marine wildlife to $3 for every bottle of dishwashing liquid purchased and activated before January 4th, 2010. The donation supports both International Bird Rescue Research Center and the Marine Mammal Center.

It only takes a moment to add the bottle ID number, your zip code and the store where you purchased your bottle. Please register your bottle of Dawn HERE

Video: Help Dawn Save Wildlife

More than 30 years ago, International Bird Rescue Research Center was seeking a solution to clean oil from bird’s feathers. IBRRC discovered that Dawn dishwashing liquid was powerful enough to effectively remove oil while remaining gentle on feathers, skin and eyes. Since then, rescue groups worldwide have chosen Dawn to clean aquatic animals.

Bird Cams Around the World

WILDLIFE CONSERVATION & REHABILITATION~2010 & 2011

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