In 2021, a sudden shift in the lives of thousands of Elegant Terns, a Near Threatened species, led to an unprecedented wildlife emergency. After their nesting colony was disturbed, more than 10,000 terns relocated to two barges in the middle of Long Beach Harbor, creating an unexpected nesting site in a dangerous environment. As chicks began wandering off the sides of the barge, falling into the water, and struggling to survive, wildlife responders faced a complex rescue effort that would require new solutions and collaboration on an extraordinary scale.
As International Bird Rescue celebrates 55 years of protecting birds in a changing world, Saving a Generation: The Long Beach Harbor Seabird Nesting Crisis looks back on one of the organization’s defining conservation efforts. Julie Skoglund, Senior Director of Operations & Programs, and Kylie Clatterbuck, Wildlife Center Manager, recount the discovery, the urgent rescue effort that followed, and the innovative solutions that ultimately saved a generation of Elegant Terns.
This extraordinary effort would not have been possible without the dedication and collaboration of countless partners and supporters. We are deeply grateful to Lenny Arkinstall and the Los Cerritos Wetlands Stewards, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oiled Wildlife Care Network, Aquarium of the Pacific, California Science Center, Heal the Bay, Marine Spill Response Corporation, Ocean Animal Response and Research Alliance, Office of Spill Prevention and Response, the City of Long Beach, the Port of Long Beach, U.S. Coast Guard, Long Beach Lifeguard Association, Terry and John Miller, and the more than 800 donors whose generosity helped provide the additional food, staffing, and care needed to make this rescue possible.