In January 1971, two oil tankers collided under the Golden Gate Bridge, spilling more than 800,000 gallons of crude oil into the San Francisco Bay. Little was known about oiled bird care at that time and despite the courageous attempts of hundreds of volunteers, only 300 birds survived from the 7,000 collected.
International Bird Rescue (Bird Rescue) set out to develop humane and scientifically-based oiled wildlife cleaning and rehabilitation techniques, while managing oiled wildlife response wherever needed. Today, Bird Rescue operates a year-round rescue program for oiled, orphaned, ill and injured aquatic birds from two key facilities in California's Oiled Wildlife Care Network (OWCN). Making a difference to the lives of over 5,000 birds a year, the large number and variety of species admitted for care allows Bird Rescue to develop new and better methods of animal husbandry and medical treatment.
International Bird Rescue is a world leader in oiled wildlife emergency response, rehabilitation, research and education. Our team of more than 40 highly trained specialists has led rescue efforts in over 200 oil spills in 11 States, two U.S. territories, and 12 different countries.
We are committed to ensuring that every bird impacted by changes to their environment is given hope to survive and thrive.
Ready for any event, large or small - because every bird matters.
 | History of Oiled SeabridsDownload PDF (370KB) |
