Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologists are investigating the deaths of large numbers of seabirds along the Pacific coast in the wake of harsh winter weather the past several weeks.
Common murres and Cassin’s auklets have been showing
up dead on coast beaches in greater numbers than usual. Preliminary lab results
indicate the birds are extremely emaciated, likely related to exhaustion and
starvation caused by exposure to cold temperatures and heavy wind.
Herman Biederbeck, ODFW biologist in Tillamook said,
quote: “The birds washing up on the beach seem to be starved and beaten up by
the storms, we have seabird die-offs in the fall and early winter every year
but this year we’re seeing elevated numbers”, close quote.
Seabird mortality has been observed from as far south
as California to as far north as British Columbia, leading some researchers to
believe the die-off is the result of an unusually large hatch of young birds
last spring, followed by harsh weather.
Biederbeck said colored zip ties have been affixed to
some dead birds by researchers from the University of Washington
as part of a seabird mortality study.
People who encounter dead seabirds on the beach should
not touch or move them. ODFW is asking beach walkers who find large
concentrations of dead birds that have not been marked with colored zip ties to
call their whereabouts in to their local ODFW field office or the wildlife
health hotline at (866) 968-2600.
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