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Oiled Wildlife Care Network
Participant Spotlight

Participant Spotlight: Marine Wildlife Care Center

Location: Humboldt State University, Arcata

Rehabilitation capacity: up to 400 oiled birds

The Marine Wildlife Care Center (MWCC) is one of the OWCN’s primary care facilities. Dedicated in February 1997, this 4,500 square foot facility was established to provide care for up to 400 oiled birds in the event of a spill on the north coast of California. Volunteers and staff from both Humboldt State University and Humboldt Wildlife Care Center (HWCC) work cooperatively to provide care to oiled wildlife at this facility during oil spill responses. During non-spill time, the MWCC facility is used by the Humboldt State University Department of Wildlife for lecture and labs.

Previous spill responses conducted at MWCC include the Kure Oil Spill in November 1997, and the Stuyvesant Oil Spill in September 1999.

Recent Spill Response

Recently the MWCC facility and personnel were activated for a spill response during the Thanksgiving holiday. On November 22, 2006, the OWCN was informed by the California Department of Fish and Game’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response (OSPR) that 40-50 gulls were oiled with what appeared to be a food based oil in the Eureka Bay area. OSPR, along with the staff and volunteers from MWCC and HWCC recovered and transported 33 oiled Western and glaucous-winged gulls to the MWCC. MWCC staff quickly prepared the center for the incoming birds while the OWCN’s Greg Massey and Yvette Hernandez arrived that night to oversee the effort. Over the next several days, recovery and transport efforts brought in more oiled gulls from the contaminated area, bringing the total number of live birds collected to 53.

Because of the small numbers of birds and the challenges of setting up wash facilities and pools at MWCC, it was decided to transport the birds after stabilization to the San Francisco Bay Oiled Wildlife Care and Education Center (SFBOWCEC) in Cordelia for washing and conditioning. Most of the birds where transported on Saturday, November 25 by Kris Wiese (OSPR). Some more birds, found later that day in a storage container, were transported by a volunteer’s personal airplane to the SFBOWCEC. Since the birds were stable on Sunday, International Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) staff and volunteers began washing the birds at the Cordelia facility, while preparing for the rest of the birds to arrive. Once they were clean, the birds were quickly moved to outside aviaries with access to pools.

Ready for Release

All but two of the birds were ready for release in early December. In the best interest of the birds, the decision was made to transport them back to Eureka for release. OSPR’s Kris Wiese of OSPR facilitated the first release. He played a key role in the rescue of a majority of the birds and transported them back to Eureka for release in the area where they were found.
The OWCN would like to extend a special thank you to all the volunteers and staff who participated in the Eureka Mystery spill. The quick response and effective collaboration of the many organizations were crucial to the successful rehabilitation and release of these oiled gulls. More information about the Marine Wildlife Care Center can be found at www.humboldt.edu/~mwcc.