Sea & Shore Birds

Safety Issues and Handling
Cormorants, herons, egrets, loon, grebes and gulls can inflict serious injuries with their beaks. These species defend themselves by stabbing or biting with their beaks and aim at your face and eyes.

Always use gloves or a thick towel or blanket when attempting to capture or handle an injured or sick water bird. Even small egrets and herons have stiletto-like beaks.

• If no protective goggles are worn (and even if they are) throw the towel or blanket over the bird’s head and body and hold the bird across the shoulders and body restraining the wings with you hands.
• ALWAYS hold the bird so the head is facing away from you.
• Enlist help from a rescue organization if the bird is aggressive and strong.

Seabirds or Wading Birds with No Obvious Sign of Injury
Birds come ashore more frequently after storms, bad weather or big surf. They may have internal injuries or hidden fractures.

• Do not return them to the water
• Do not put them in a tub of water

The have come out of the water because they do not feel well. Birds can get caught in high surf and have sand and water forced into their mouths, nostrils and feathers. Birds may also be found in urban areas after collisions with buildings or traffic. Ducks at local lakes and ponds as well as sea ducks such as scoters and mergansers may have swallowed lead shot or sinkers and be suffering from lead poisoning.

Temporary Housing

• Place them in a cardboard box with newspaper on the bottom covered with a thick towel.
• Loons, grebes or birds that cannot stand should have a foam pad, pillow or crumpled newspaper under the towel to provide a cushioning effect
• Keep warm (70-80 degrees F), dark (cover box with thin sheet or loosely close flaps) and as quiet as possible.
• If the bird starts open-mouthed breathing it may be too hot, reduce heat if this occurs.

Fish Line or fishhook Damage

• Birds with fish line or fishhook damage should be checked by a rehabilitator even if the hook or line has been removed by someone at the scene.
• If the line goes down the throat don’t cut it all off, it may be the only clue to the rehabilitator that a hook is further down.
• Do no tug. Use tape to attach the line to the bird so that line is not swallowed. Hooks are rarely life threatening, but the line can be very damaging by its tourniquet effect on limbs and body.
• Line tangled around legs, wings or neck should be untangled and removed or cut through and removed.  If the line is embedded, leave it alone for a vet or rehabber to remove.

Sick or Dying Birds

• If you see numerous sick, dying or dead seabirds or other wild birds in one location such as on a beach or in a park, contact a wildlife rehabilitator or your local department of Fish and Game or US Fish and Wildlife Service.

Food & Water

• Do not try to give water to sea or shore birds except for gulls and mallard ducks (most seabirds have long beaks and cannot drink out of a bowl)
• Do not try to feed the bird.

Call the Project Wildlife Hotline 619-225-9202 to get more information.

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