After 40 years of being on the precipice of extinction the Brown Pelican is poised to be removed from the national endangered species list, according to recent announcement by the U.S. Interior Department. See: National Geographic report The pelicans were put on the endangered species list after the use of the pesticide DDT caused catastrophic … Read more
Update from the oil spill incident that began in December 2007 in Patagonia, Argentina: After a long and difficult two days, the second wave of team members, including Jay Holcomb and Michelle Bellizzi from IBRRC in California, finally on the ground after arriving at almost midnight Thursday night. The team doesn’t have luggage but are … Read more
Recent San Francisco Bay Area storms seem to be churning up more of the oil that spilled from the Cosco Busan two months ago. According to news reports, the Coast Guard sent clean-up teams to several beaches along the East Bay shoreline of San Francisco Bay today. Apparently oil was spotted in the Emeryville area … Read more
Just as the San Francisco Bay spill response winds down, IBRRC is now busy again treating hundreds of oiled and sick birds washing ashore in Monterey Bay affected by an odd oily substance. About 613 birds have been rescued and at least 300 are being treated at the Bird Rescue’s San Francisco Bay Wildlife Center … Read more
It’s happened with predictable regularity, every spring IBR braces for Domoic Acid infected seabirds entering into care – especially California Brown Pelicans. Called DA for short, Domoic Acid is a neurotoxin that causes brain seizures in ocean wildlife that will ultimately die if not treated quickly and aggressively. In the spring of 2007 it was … Read more
After nearly 6 weeks in care, rescued Elegant and Caspian Terns have been returned to the wild. Our rescue story begins in the spring of 2006 as adult Caspian and Elegant terns began nesting on two empty barges anchored in the Long Beach Harbor. The barges quickly became covered with thousands of the beautiful white … Read more
On June 28, 2006 reports of dead baby terns on the shores of Long Beach sent wildlife rescue professionals and veterinarians from the nearby International Bird Rescue to investigate. Read update: Tern for the better What they found was shocking and horrifying. An estimated 300-500 baby terns, some only a day old, were dead in … Read more
Bird Rescue auctions off unusual “Alien in the Duck” X-ray on eBay On Sunday, May 21, 2006 an adult male mallard was brought to the International Bird Rescue, with what appeared to be a broken wing. Marie Travers, assistant manager of the center, radiographed the mallard and was immediately shocked by what was revealed on … Read more
Seabirds Affected by Oil Spill Along Southern California Coast More than 1,400 birds, mainly Western Grebes, came into our Los Angeles Wildlife Center after an oil slick first struck along the Ventura and Los Angeles County coastline on January 13, 2005. As late as April 2005, a couple dozen oil covered birds were still showing … Read more
California Brown Pelicans continue to endure human abuse A young female California brown pelican, who endured three surgeries and hundreds of stitches to repair her pouch, finally was set free on Thursday, September 23, 2004. Found in the Redondo Beach area, her pouch slit from ear to ear, “Slash” spent two months in rehabilitation at … Read more