Several seabirds are being treated by Pacific Wildlife Care in Morro Bay after washing up covered in oil along the shores.
Every spring Pacific Wildlife Care sees an increase in oiled seabirds coming in.
“The increased winds that tend to happen this time of year cause an upwelling in the ocean. The upwelling causes the oil to get stirred up in the water and gets on the birds,” said Vann Masvidal, Pacific Wildlife Care center director.
Twenty seabirds, mostly grebe and common murre, have been cared for by the nonprofit so far this year, many of them coming from south county beaches but also areas like Morro Bay.
“They can’t walk on land, so if you see a grebe on land or the beach, something is wrong. They are not supposed to be there,” Masvidal said.
When the birds come into the center, Pacific Wildlife will take blood samples to see how strong they are. Feather samples are sent to a lab.
“To make sure it’s natural oil seepage on these birds and not an oil spill we don’t know about,” Masvidal said.
The oil is then washed off the birds.
“It's a pretty stressful process, anything from half an hour to an hour depending on how oiled the bird is,” said volunteer Valerie Putnam.
With the birds being seabirds, their feathers make a barrier that’s impenetrable to water.
“Anything that gets on these birds’ feathers disrupts the structure of the feathers, and water can get through. It gets to their skin and they get cold out in the cold ocean. Then things go downhill from there,” Masvidal said.
Director Vann Masvidal describes the natural seep tar as thick and smelly. “It can cause actual chemical burns if it gets on the birds’ skin,” Masvidal said.
The final step of rehabilitation is placing the birds in outdoor pools where they work to regain their waterproofing. Masvidal says the average time they spend in their care is two weeks.
Two grebes were released Thursday afternoon at Tidelands Park. It’s an experience six-year volunteer Valerie Putnam says is rewarding.
“When you see how the bird comes in, totally oiled and vulnerable and helpless, and then you can wash everything off and bring it back to its normal beautiful conditions, being able to release it back is even better,” Putnam said.
Masvidal warns against washing an oiled bird at home.
“Don’t believe the commercials with the little ducks in it. It’s not that easy. It’s not a magic elixir. Any oiled wildlife that you find, you should contact your local wildlife rehabilitation center,” Masvidal said.
If you happen to find a bird covered in oil, Pacific Wildlife Care’s hotline is 805-543-WILD. For more information click here.
