Since early November, more than 120 seabirds — primarily western grebes, a diving creature with red eyes and sharp yellow bills — have been rescued along the Central Coast after a mysterious one-square-mile oil slick appeared off the Santa Barbara coast. Now, a few of them are headed back out to sea.
“It’s always rewarding to be able to share good news with our community,” said Ariana Gastelum, marketing and communications specialist at International Bird Rescue. “The first six western grebes from the recent influx of oiled birds have officially been released back to the wild.”
The release took place on December 2 at Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro, where healthy grebes are known to congregate. And it’s not just those six — by December 4, the number had grown to 17 successfully released birds.
But plenty more remain in care. After a bird is cleaned, with warm water, Dawn dish soap, and the hands of a volunteer with a pet grooming dryer, then comes recovery.
“We’re continuing to perform release exams more regularly,” Gastelum said, “ensuring every bird has good body condition, healthy blood values, and fully waterproof feathers.”
Some birds are dealing with secondary injuries, including keel lesions, toe and hock wounds, and muscle damage caused by prolonged time beached or covered in oil. A few may require months of rehabilitation.
As of now, the origin of the slick suggests it was the result of natural seepage, but the site remains under investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Regardless, oil is oil. Whether spilled from a pipe or seeped from the seafloor, seabirds take the hit.
Western grebes don’t normally come ashore. So if you spot one waddling on a beach, something’s wrong. Their sleek bodies and webbed feet are built for open water, where they fish by diving like feathery torpedoes. But when oil destroys their waterproofing, they’re left cold, flightless, and exposed. This is where human hands step in to clean and help heal.
Since 1971, International Bird Rescue has responded to more than 250 oil spill events and cared for more than 160,000 birds. In addition, they’re footing the entire cost.
“It’s a meaningful milestone in what has been an intense few weeks,” said Gastelum. “Donations are still very much needed to support their ongoing care and help us respond to the continued influx of birds.”
For those looking to help, donations can be made at birdrescue.org.
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