For those who have had the proper training, there could be a huge job ahead of them. The brown pelican, a bird that was taken off the endangered species list just last November, is nesting in the area and could be especially vulnerable. Sea birds aren't the only species that could be affected. Migratory birds passing through the area are also at risk. "We're still sort of in a wait-and-see pattern," says Bruce Reid, director of conservation outreach for the National Audubon Society's Mississippi River Initiative.
British Petroleum, the company that was leasing the Deepwater Horizon rig, hired Tri-State Bird Rescue to coordinate the bird rehabilitation efforts. The organization is working with the International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) and a number of other groups to save as many birds as possible at locations in Louisiana, Alabama and Florida as the spill moves toward shore. Although it's impossible to estimate the potential damages to wildlife at this point, for individual birds, having a person clean the oil from their feathers may be their best chance of survival.
Search and RescueBeaches near oil spills are often where oiled birds land. "Oil creates a hole in the wetsuit," says Nils Warnock, who oversees search and rescue of oiled wildlife for the University of CaliforniaDavis Wildlife Health Center, an Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN) affiliate. "When that starts to happen to some of the marine birds, they get cold and they want to come onshore to try to get warm," he says. Officials then take them to a treatment facility.
Physical AssessmentVeterinarians, biologists and experienced rehabbers give the bird a full examination. Being handled by humans can be taxing for the birds, so those giving treatment determine whether individuals can survive the process. Affected birds are often hypothermic, dehydrated from preening excessively to remove the oil from their feathers and possibly poisoned from ingesting the toxin.
PreparationBefore rescuers can clean the birds, first they have to stabilize them. Affected birds are warmed and fed up to eight times a day for as many as five days. They're also given a rehydrating solution, often with a feeding tube, that helps flush a bird's system of ingested oil.
CleaningOnce stable, birds are given a bubble bath made from a solution of one percent Dawn soap and warm water. It's a two-person job. "Cleaning, of course, is stressful. This isn't something that happens to them day to day," Wamock says. As one person holds the bird, another washes its feathers vigorously. Toothbrushes and cotton swabs help remove caked oil from the bird's head and eyes, and a Waterpik removes oil exclusively around the eyes. When tub water gets dirty, rescuers move the bird to a second, third and fourth tub until the water remains clear. It can take up to 15 tubs until the bird gets clean; one pelican can require 300 gallons of water.
RinseRinsing can be just as important as washing, according to the IBRRC. Trained volunteers, biologists and vets use a special spa nozzle, set to a specific water pressure, to rinse the detergent from the bird's feathers. When the suds are all gone, the birds sit under a pet drier (hairdryers hurt aquatic birds' skin) and preen their feathers. "Bird feathers are naturally waterproof but after washing, each feather must be aligned properly," writes IBRRC executive director Jay Holocomb on the organization's website. "Each feather is made up of microscopic barbs and barbules that hook together like Velcro. Once hooked together, they become a tight waterproof barrier. Each properly aligned feather overlaps another like shingles on a roof, creating a temperature-controlled barrier."
RecoveryRecuperating birds often swim around in outdoor pools before rescuers release them. "It can take as little as a few days, but for some birds it can take a long time, up to months," Wamock says. Wildlife veterinarians determine if the birds are fit for flight, and often band them before releasing them back into their designated habitat. Release rates are usually between 50 and 80 percent, the IBRRC reports, and the group is collecting information on how many treated birds thrive in the wild.
Susan Cosier is a senior editor at Audubon magazine. For more on how the Deepwater Horizon oil rig spill is affecting bird populations, check out Aubudon's full spill coverage.