Photos by Kelly Berry Update July 8, 2014 from our vet: “Wounds are healing well but both parent and chick still have guarded prognosis for full return to function. Chick has elbow and leg problems, parent has wing problem.” We will continue to update you when we know more. Thanks for your concern. –IBR Staff … Read more
Photo by Bill Steinkamp Often we receive birds with inexplicable injuries. This is one such case. Animal control officers recently transported a Brown Pelican with an injured foot to our Los Angeles center. Our veterinarian, Dr. Rebecca Duerr, found and removed two sharp, wood objects that had impeded the bird’s ability to bear weight on … Read more
This beautiful Pelagic Cormorant was found with multiple fishing hook injuries. Our friends at California Wildlife Center removed the hooks and transferred the bird to our L.A. center, where it’s recovering from the wounds in an outdoor aviary. Wildlife rehab is all about teamwork! Photo by Kelly Berry.
Photos by Kelly Berry Another victim of fishing gear waste: This Western Grebe was recently found beached and wrapped in monofilament line, which causes countless injuries among aquatic birds every year. We’re currently caring for the grebe at our Los Angeles center. Audubon California describes the problem this way: Monofilament fishing line is an amazingly … Read more
According to last year’s data, about 22% of Brown Pelicans cared for by International Bird Rescue’s rehabilitation staff had confirmed injuries resulting from fishing gear, such as hooks and monofilament line, which can cause fatal constriction wounds. And in 2013, we’ve seen a consistently high number of such injuries. This Brown Pelican was found on November … Read more
Here, staff veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Duerr surgically removes a large fishing hook (attached to a glittery worm lure) swallowed by this Black-crowned Night Heron, currently in care at our San Francisco Bay center. Photos by Cheryl Reynolds.
Photo by Isabel Luevano This Western Gull was transferred to International Bird Rescue’s San Francisco Bay center from Peninsula Humane Society having swallowed two large hooks. Last week, staff veterinarian Dr. Rebecca Duerr removed one hook through the esophagus at the shoulder and the other by cutting into the bird’s ventriculus through the abdomen. X-ray … Read more
Photo by Markus Vetemaa Editor’s note: Recently, a news headline on gillnets and their devastating impact on seabirds duly caught our attention. In a sobering review, scientists concluded that hundreds of thousands of birds are killed every year by these nets, some of which are banned in international waters but common elsewhere in coastal fisheries. … Read more
The news this week that an estimated 400,000 seabirds die in gill nets annually underscores just how much of a problem fishing methods can be for the planet’s aquatic birds. Beyond the headlines, we see injuries resulting from hooks, lures and monofilament every day at our wildlife care centers. That’s why International Bird Rescue has … Read more
A recent study has concluded, not surprising, that pelicans suffer the most fishing line injuries. Over 30% of the animals harmed by fish hooks and entangled fishing line were Brown Pelicans. The report was published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 45(2), 2009, pp. 355–362. The report was authored by Brynie Kaplan Dau including contributors, … Read more