Oil Spill Birds Going Home Today

The first 2 of 173 oiled seabirds that were captured for rehabilitation are on their way back to the wild today, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) biologist Rose Meehan. The two seabirds, Common Murres, are among those injured by an oil spill from an unknown source in the remote Pribilof Islands.

Prior to release, the two were fitted with identification bands which will help Service biologists track the Murres. According to Meehan, the two Common Murres were the "first in and the first out," marking the beginning of a release program, resulting from the successful rehabilitation efforts of the International Bird Rescue Research Center.

The Service and the International Bird Rescue Center plan to return more healthy seabirds to St. Pauls Islands, where they will be released to the ocean, as they are pronounced ready by a team of professionals.

To date, field crews have retrieved 1, 089 oiled carcasses - 854 King Eiders and 69 Common Murres. One hundred Seventy - three oiled but live birds were captured for cleaning and eventual release. The birds were sent to Anchorage the International Bird Research Rescue Center currently has 122 birds in rehabilitation.

FWS