Wild Care rehabs hypothermic, oil-stained Common Murre
A bulletin from our friends at Wild Care in Eastham:
Wild Care rehabs hypothermic, oil-stained Common Murre! 40% covered with oil, which is deadly to aquatic birds
This Common Murre came to us on Sunday 1/8 from Newcomb Hollow beach in Wellfleet. The bird was wet, hypothermic and oil stained, but otherwise in good body condition. The murre began to stabilize after it was dried and warmed. On Monday, Wild Care staff washed the murre to remove the oil from its feathers. Oil is deadly to aquatic birds. It compromises their waterproofing, causes debilitating anemia, and is caustic on the digestive system. This bird was 40% covered in oil. Happy to report that the bird is stable today, and enjoying a meal of Capelin! He will swim in our therapy pools very soon to get his waterproofing up to par. It is unknown how this bird came in contact with the oil. Authorities have been notified. Stay tuned… Stephanie ~
Update by Animal Care Coordinator, Jennifer Taylor
Hundreds of millions of birds are killed each year by colliding with windows. You might assume the leading culprit is tall buildings, but in fact our homes account for the greatest number of fatalities.
Wild Care has a state-of-the-art seabird therapy pool, which allows seabirds and waterfowl to exercise on running water. This will help our bird friends recover more quickly so they can get back to their watery habitats!
