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
Northern Gannet, photo by Yeray Seminario What’s new? — Critically endangered species such as the Waved Albatross are among the estimated 400,000 seabirds killed every year by gill nets — and the number of victims could be much higher, researchers note in the journal Biological Conservation. While the mesh used in such nets is designed … Read more
International Bird Rescue is connected throughout the world in many ways. One of those ways is through our response team members who work at various organizations like the Center for Rehabilitation of Marine Animals-Fundação Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, or CRAM-FURG, in Brazil. This wildlife group just responded to an unusual stranding event that brought … Read more
What’s new? —CNN takes a look at marine debris and its effects on the Hawaiian Islands (video above). Correspondent Kyung Lah visits Kamilo Beach on the Big Island, where groups such as Hawaii Wildlife Fund are cleaning up plastic trash and other debris, much of it from the 2011 tsunami disaster in Japan. Lah also … Read more
Flammulated Owl nestling, all images © Jackie Wollner. jackiewollner.com On International Bird Rescue’s Facebook page, there are some photos we post to our loyal following that become instant viral hits, viewed and shared by thousands. The images that resonate are usually either of young and delicate birds (orphaned Pied-billed Grebe chicks, for instance) or of a … Read more
Dear friend, As 2012 draws to a close, we are so thankful for all the support from our donors. You sustain our mission, which has always been, and will always be, to help aquatic birds in need — one animal at a time. We couldn’t do our work without you, and for that we are … Read more
What’s new? —Wired magazine features videos and backstory of an amazing project documenting birds-of-paradise (photo above by wildlife photographer Tim Laman). [Wired] —Our Blue-Banded Pelican Project is featured in the Malibu Times, with info on the current sighting contest that continues through early January. [Malibu Times] —The OC Weekly takes a look at migratory visitors … Read more
This adult Brown Pelican came to us with multiple fish hooks stuck in its jaw and wing. It made an amazing recovery. We are continually amazed by the sheer resilience of birds — animals often harmed by human causes, and therefore in need of human care. Record-setting numbers of birds needing care in 2012 has … Read more
In this week’s roundup: the Hooded Warbler’s comeback in Canada, animal cruelty in Malibu, and shorebirds confronting hurricanes during fall migration. —How will shorebirds on the cusp of fall migration be affected by Tropical Storm Isaac? [American Bird Conservancy] —The New York Times interviews filmmaker Chris Jordan about his in-production documentary Midway on plastic ingestion … Read more
In this week’s round-up: Starving California Brown Pelicans showing up inland as they hunt for food, Black-browed Albatrosses on the rebound in the Falklands, and the anti-aging mysteries of Brünnich’s Guillemots. [Black-browed Albatross photo by W. Ryan Holliday] —California Brown Pelicans venture inland in what appears to be an unprecedented occurrence — and International Bird … Read more