More than a dozen Western grebes were recently returned to the ocean following weeks of recovery after being found coated in oil in early November.
International Bird Rescue staff had released 17 Western grebes, a long-necked diving bird, at a Los Angeles beach as of Monday, according to JD Bergeron, CEO of International Bird Rescue.
However, those are just some of the birds that were found slicked in oil in November around Ventura Harbor, with some in Santa Barbara County and one in Malibu.
Despite many of the birds found in and around Santa Barbara County, Bergeron said staff released the birds at Cabrillo Beach, close to the organization’s Los Angeles center.
“The fact they fly, we don’t usually make the effort to take them long distances to the location where they were found,” he said.
A bird is released only after a health assessment, including blood tests, an examination for no active wounds, and ensuring the bird is eating and grooming on its own.
Still, about four dozen birds remain in International Bird Rescue’s care as staff treat secondary injuries.
Injuries include issues with the bird’s feet and keel lesions, caused when overly skinny birds sit on a rock when depleted breast muscles shrink, causing the bone to slice through and create a lesion that can lead to hard-to-beat infections, Bergeron added.
“Grebes are particularly challenging because they are birds that spend 90% or more of their lives in water, so they’re very prone to secondary injury,” he said.
When the birds were first found in November, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response were investigating the source of the oil spill. However, it was suspected to have been natural seep activity.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response concluded that “there are no indications that the sheen stemmed from production oil or other anthropogenic sources,” according to spokesman Eric Laughlin.
Bergeron predicted that more birds will be released over the coming weeks, leaving only the most critically injured birds.
However, Ariana Gastelum, marketing and communications specialist with International Bird Rescue, said that while it’s a meaningful milestone, donations are still needed to support the ongoing care.
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