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USA Today
15-05-2025
- USA Today
Sudden fowl fatalities bring a new bird mystery to San Francisco Bay Area
Sudden fowl fatalities bring a new bird mystery to San Francisco Bay Area Show Caption Hide Caption Stranded, hungry pelicans are being found along California's coast International Bird Rescue treated more than 400 brown pelicans in 2024, when this video was taken, and is closing in on 200 this year. SAN FRANCISCO – In the classic film 'The Birds,'' flocks of crows and other species suddenly and viciously attack people for no apparent reason. Now another Bay Area-based mystery has emerged involving avian creatures, though this time they're the ones in danger. Residents of East Richmond Heights, an East Bay community less than 15 miles from San Francisco, have reported in recent weeks increasing numbers of birds dropping dead to the ground from power lines. Popping sounds similar to firecrackers have been heard moments before the birds' deaths. A sign attached to a wooden pole in the area of the incidents says, 'Over 50 birds have died + continue to die here after landing on the top power line,'' but it's not clear the electricity wires have anything to do with the fowl fatalities. Neighbors have found carcasses in their yards and on the street, creating an eerie feeling and growing alarm, not unlikely the reaction from locals in the 1963 suspense drama from acclaimed director Alfred Hitchcock, set mostly in the Sonoma County town of Bodega Bay. Maximillian Bolling of Richmond told KGO-TV, an ABC affiliate in San Francisco, that he has seen a number of birds abruptly plummet to their demise, and that between himself and neighbors they have spotted at least 13 of their corpses. Plummeting to a 'really violent' death 'So when they land and it happens, they just quickly explode and it's really violent,'' he told the station. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife said it's investigating after residents raised concerns the birds might have been electrocuted. In a statement to USA TODAY, the department said it examined two dead birds – a mourning dove and a European starling – sent in by Northern California energy provider PG&E. The DFW lab staff 'found no signs of electrocution in the collected birds,'' the statement said. 'The birds did show injuries consistent with trauma that could possibly have been caused by pellet gun, BB gun or a slingshot.'' Photos of other birds from that location also showed traumatic injuries, the department said, adding that it couldn't determine their cause. That raises the possibility of someone intentionally harming the birds, and the Contra Costa County sheriff's department has been notified. PG&E validated, but some still skeptical The DFW analysis seems to validate PG&E's contention that it's not at fault in this matter, although neighbors expressed skepticism to KGO, questioning whether a BB gun could make a firecracker-like sound or a shooter could display such consistent accuracy. The utility has yet to regain the trust of many people in Northern California after its equipment set off devastating wildfires in the region in recent years. Nonetheless, spokesperson Tamar Sarkissian said the company appreciated its customers' concerns for the birds. 'PG&E does not believe that there was an issue with our electrical equipment and agrees that these birds were not electrocuted,'' she said in a statement, adding that, 'The pole at issue is compliant with avian safe guidance, as established by the Avian Powerline Interaction Committee.''
San Francisco Chronicle
26-04-2025
- Health
- San Francisco Chronicle
Brown pelicans are starving across California. Wildlife experts think they know why
JD Bergeron felt the dread return this spring when worried volunteers kept showing up at International Bird Rescue's wildlife facilities with starving brown pelicans. It's happening again, Bergeron thought. For the third time in four years, brown pelicans around California appear to be ailing. Over the past month, more than 100 malnourished and struggling birds have been brought to the nonprofit's Bay Area and Southern California wildlife centers, said Bergeron, International Bird Rescue's CEO. The birds are arriving listless and starving, and are being found in places out of their habitat: parking lots, backyards and even a tattoo shop. Many sport additional injuries, probably caused by fishing hooks or lines. 'There's been semi-regular problems with brown pelicans,' he said. 'These large population crashes result in lots of birds coming in for care. Fortunately, many can be saved.' Bergeron and others believe climate change is warming water close to the ocean surface — sending the fish that pelicans eat deeper and out of their reach, leading to skinny, malnourished and disoriented birds. The phenomenon marks a potentially worrying setback for a species that has struggled over the years and spent decades on the endangered species list due to exposure to DDT, a synthetic pesticide that weakened eggshells, causing their breeding numbers to plummet. It wasn't until 2009 that brown pelicans were removed from the list. Last year, the Bay Area rescue center and its Southern California counterpart treated hundreds of malnourished pelicans, which wildlife officials attributed to a late spring storm that made fishing extremely difficult for the birds. A similar starvation happened in spring 2022, when almost 800 pelicans were admitted into wildlife facilities and close to 400 were returned to the wild, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. This year's wave of malnourished pelicans came as the bird sanctuary was already dealing with an onslaught of birds suffering from poisoning from domoic acid, caused by algal blooms. Then, dozens of young pelicans started arriving at International Bird Rescue's wildlife centers. By the end of March, the center was treating 41 birds, including many that hatched this year, Bergeron said. Large numbers of fledgling pelicans can point to a strong breeding year, but he and others worry that the domoic acid bloom may have poisoned parent pelicans, causing fledglings to leave their nests in search of food. More pelicans kept arriving in April, but many of those did not seem to be suffering from domoic acid, he said. 'It took us a minute to realize, 'Uh-oh, it's transitioning,'' he said. 'We were nervous, having had challenges in 2022 and 2024, we thought, 'Maybe this is something cyclical,' but … this happening the very next year wasn't on any of our radars.' Bergeron and others are concerned that fish are swimming deeper to escape warming ocean waters, out of pelicans' reach. Other animals that eat the same fish don't seem to be suffering. 'There are changes in the ocean resulting in pelicans not being able to feed the way they historically have,' he said. Now, the birds are gorging — they can eat their body weight in fish every day — and the influx of birds has Bergeron's staff working long hours, scrambling to make sure it has enough food, medicine and other supplies to care for its patients. 'We're clearly not out of the woods,' Bergeron said. 'We need to dig deeper and figure out what are the root causes of this problem and how do we fix that.'
Los Angeles Times
16-04-2025
- Health
- Los Angeles Times
Adult pelicans are falling victim to toxic algae bloom. Now their babies are starving, too
Brown Pelicans across Southern California are filling up wildlife rehabilitation centers, either sick or starving — a dual crisis that wildlife experts believe could be linked to a massive toxic algae bloom. For the last month, hundreds of seabirds have been poisoned by domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced in harmful algal blooms that are consumed by filter-feeding fish, such as anchovies and sardines. The small fish aren't affected by the toxins, but many seabirds and marine mammals that feed on these fish are, and the sickness can be deadly. More than 100 area seas lions have been sickened and killed by the toxins over the last few months, along with several dozen dolphins that have died. But more recently, officials have also been responding to an influx of baby pelicans that aren't sick from the toxins — but are struggling to survive because they're extremely malnourished. Officials think the two phenomena are related: as more adult pelicans become sick, disoriented or die, that has left more and more baby pelicans to fend for themselves, leaving their nests prematurely when they don't yet know how to fish. It's just a theory right now, but experts say it would help explain the unprecedented number of starving baby pelicans turning up at wildlife rescue centers. 'It is unusual for us to receive such a high volume of chicks that are this young,' the International Bird Rescue, a global conservation organization that has one of its largest wildlife rescue centers in San Pedro, wrote on its website. 'Many are very young birds, not fully grown, and do not seem to understand how to feed themselves.' 'They are just starving and cold and sad,' said Rebecca Duerr, the center's director of research and veterinary science. At its San Pedro location, specialists were caring for 60 pelican babies as of Tuesday, with more arriving every day, Duerr said. That's in addition to about 50 other birds, many adult pelicans, that have come into the center over the last month because of the domoic acid poisoning. More than half of the birds have since died. 'We keep thinking it's over and then we get more birds,' Duerr said of the influx. There have been other times in recent years when the California brown pelican, a federally protected species, has been found dead or emaciated in high numbers, and other years when large numbers of animals have become sick from domoic acid as the algae bloom is naturally occurring. But the concurrent events this year are especially concerning to officials. Debbie McGuire, the executive director of the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach, said she believes runoff from the Los Angeles firestorm likely elevated this year's bloom, as changes to nutrient levels in the ocean can increase the strength and length of the bloom. Officials don't yet know how long this bloom will last. Scientists have also found that human-caused climate change and warming ocean waters can also increase the growth of harmful algae blooms. McGuire said she can't remember a time in the last 20 years when her organization has treated this many birds with domoic acid at one time, noting that it is testing the center's workforce and capacity. 'My staff is burning the midnight oil for a month now,' McGuire said. 'It's hard on them — a lot of compassion and love goes into our work.' As of Tuesday, she said her team is caring for almost 60 brown pelicans, up seven from the day before — and most require intensive care, often including anti-seizure medication, IVs or lessons on how to feed themselves. Still, more than 50% of the pelicans they've taken in over the last month have died, as many birds sickened by domoic acid cannot be saved if the illness has progressed too far. 'If we get them quick enough we can save them, but time is of the essence,' McGuire said. The two centers said people have found the disoriented birds in unexpected and often hazardous locations over the last month, including on the 405 Freeway, on a terminal at LAX and near Amazon warehouses. The birds 'don't know where they are, they get confused, they fly inland,' McGuire said. Both rescue centers are also treating other seabirds ill from domoic acid, including the western grebes, brandt's cormorants and red-throated loons, but brown pelicans have most frequently been sick. Neither location has reached capacity yet, but McGuire said it's a concern if the situation continues at current rates. In a recent post on social media, the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center asked for monetary donations or items on their wishlist to help ensure they can keep providing the care the animals need. The International Bird Rescue also has asked for donations to help it respond to what its called a seabird crisis. 'Stress is high as we care for over 52 pelicans, many of whom are not yet eating on their own, with no clear sign of slowing down soon,' the Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center said in its post. Officials warned beachgoers to use extreme caution when approaching any sick or dead animal, including seabirds. If you encounter one, the International Bird Rescue urged people to call the organization's bird helpline at (866) 767-2473. The Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center recommended people to call their local animal control office or find more information online. Times staff writer Summer Lin contributed to this report.
The Guardian
25-03-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Dozens of bird eggs and chicks rescued from collapsing tree in California
Dozens of bird eggs and chicks were rescued from nests in a single wind-damaged eucalyptus tree that was dangerously close to collapsing in a California park. Now staff at the International Bird Rescue's Los Angeles wildlife center have been working around the clock to care for the 47 eggs and 12 chicks, all double-crested cormorants, in hopes that they will be able to be released back into the wild in a few months. The tree at a park in Marina del Rey was flagged earlier this month after one of its trunks fell and crushed a trash bin enclosure, explained Nicole Mooradian, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles county department of beaches & harbors. Its other trunk was showing signs of collapsing as well, threatening not only the birds but anyone on the nearby public walkway or in the parking lot next door. 'It wasn't a question of if this tree is going to fail, it was more of a when,' she said on Monday. 'The cracks were growing wider by the day. It was really bad.' For at least five hours on 10 March, tree contractors meticulously removed each of the 20 nests and chopped off branches one at a time. Biologists on the ground put the eggs and hatchlings in egg cartons and boxes with heated blankets acting as temporary incubators. Double-crested cormorants are common in southern California and tend to nest in large colonies that may crowd a single tree, explained Kylie Clatterbuck, wildlife center manager for the bird rescue. For about a month, cormorant parents incubate the eggs and then give the chicks regurgitated food for several weeks. Taking care of them can be very difficult because when they hatch they are essentially 'naked little balls of skin' completely reliant on their parents, she said. At the rescue in San Pedro, the chicks must be fed every hour from 8am to 8pm. When staff interact with them, they wear a black suit and disguise their face, while using decoys and puppets to keep the birds from forming an attachment with them, which could make them too trusting of humans in the wild. Rescue staff expect the birds to stay for at least three months and then once they can hunt on their own and fly, they plan to release them into the wild. Sign up to Headlines US Get the most important US headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion All of the chicks are healthy and happy, with some about two weeks old and already eating whole fish, said Clatterbuck. 'It's really hard raising baby birds. We do our best; we do what we know; we treat what we know,' she said. 'And we can only hope that they do a good job and they can survive.'
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Deadly toxic algae bloom causing sea lions to become sick, violent
The Brief A toxic algae bloom is causing sea lions and other mammals and birds to become sick. Domoic acid toxicity is caused by ocean blooms of algae called Harmful Algal Blooms. The toxin causes neurological issues in seabirds and mammals that eat anchovies, sardines, and crustaceans that have eaten the toxic algae. The condition is known to cause seizures, stillbirths, and even violence in some sea lions. SAN PEDRO, Calif. - A deadly toxin is causing several sea mammals and birds to fall ill or even die. Domoic acid (DA) toxicity is caused by ocean blooms of algae called Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). The toxin causes neurological issues in seabirds and mammals that eat anchovies, sardines, and crustaceans that have eaten the toxic algae. The toxin causes severe neurological symptoms, including tremors, seizures, stillbirths, and even violence, according to the International Bird Rescue. The condition is treatable, but sick animals are flooding marine mammal care centers up and down the coast. It's killing birds, dolphins, sea lions, and turtles. To complicate the crisis, health experts say the symptoms can resemble those caused by bird flu and protozoal encephalitis. What they're saying A sick sea lion delivered her fetus at the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro. Unfortunately, the pup won't make it…but it's mama's only chance, according to Veterinarian Dr. Alissa Deming. "The only way to flush the toxin out of the mom and make sure we're able to save her is to induce premature labor and clear that fetus and the amniotic fluid out. And unfortunately, these fetuses are too early on gestation to be able to survive outside the mother, so our only option for them is humane euthanasia," Dr. Deming told FOX 11. Experts say this is the worst toxic algae bloom to hit the Southern California coast, and it's currently in its fifth week. "It's called Sudanecha and it produces domoic acid which is a toxin that gets ingested in the food system through little fish that eat algae. Bigger fish eat them and then sea lions and dolphins in particular are affected by this that eat the fish," said Marine Mammal Care Center CEO John Warner. The longer the bloom, the more they ingest, the worse the symptoms. Experts say it's so neurologically compromising that it can cause violent behaviors in sickened mammals. A surfer in Oxnard said a sea lion charged at him seven times, bitting his bottom. He's now out of the ER and in physical therapy. Warner calls the encounter "uncharacteristic" even under these conditions. "These are still the lovely, loveable cuddle-puddle sea lions that we have come to know and love but unfortunately, they're sick." They say the chances of an animal surviving from DA is about 65%. International Bird Rescue is currently receiving birds affected by the toxin every day. Affected species include Brown Pelicans, Western Grebes, Brandt's Cormorants and Red-throated Loons. Experts believe the retardant used in the recent LA wildfires may be a contributor to the disease, and it's already been proven in fresh water. What you can do Beachgoers are urged to remain cautious when approaching sick or dead seabirds. The public can reach out for assistance to the organization's volunteer-staffed Bird HelpLine: 1-866-SOS-BIRD (866-767-2473).
