International Bird Rescue

International Bird Rescue is a member of the Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN),[2] which is managed by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine on behalf of the State of California.

It was as horrible as you can imagine," Jay Holcomb, International Bird Rescue's former executive director, told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2012.

In 1977, International Bird Rescue signed its first oil spill response contract with Alyeska Pipeline Service Company.

"My attitude was not that of the stereotypical environmentalist of that time, but that of a consumer who accepted responsibility for what could result from petroleum consumption on an individual and even species level," Berkner recalled.

[15] Exxon Valdez was the first major spill where field stabilization and transport were utilized extensively in oiled wildlife care.

[16] Following the Exxon Valdez incident, Congress passed and President George H. W. Bush signed into law the U.S. Oil Pollution Act (OPA) of 1990.

[18] New rehabilitation facilities, such as those currently managed by International Bird Rescue, were designed to prevent disease transmission among avian patients and to minimize historic challenges associated with animal husbandry.

International Bird Rescue has responded to oil spills in countries such as the United States, France, Norway, Spain, South Africa, Australia, Ecuador, Argentina, and New Zealand.

When a bird becomes oiled, its feathers can mat and separate, exposing the animal's sensitive skin to temperature extremes.

As a result, oil exposure can lead to dehydration, kidney damage, and hypothermia or hyperthermia, among other serious health conditions.

[28] Once stable, an oiled bird goes through a series of tub washes with a low concentration of Dawn dishwashing liquid in clean water.

A tight overlapping pattern of the feathers creates a natural waterproof seal, which enables the bird to maintain its body temperature and remain buoyant in the water.

Post-wash, rehabilitation staff closely monitor a bird's waterproofing as it recovers in warm and then cold water pools.

Some of these injuries are deliberate (and often illegal), such as gunshot wounds, beak cutting, pelican pouch slashings, and clipped wings.