Oiled Seabird Rescue and Conservation

Abstract

Attempts were made to clean and rehabilitate nearly 8000 oiled birds (mainly auks) following the wreck of the Torrey Canyon. This was an almost total failure and a Research Unit on the Rehabilitation of Oiled Seabirds was established in Newcastle upon Tyne to devise effective treatment methods. This has involved a study of the mechanism of water-repellency in seabird plumage and led to the development of cheap, effective cleaning methods and full recovery of the birds within 2–3 wk of capture. These methods have been used successfully on small numbers of birds by amateurs and also operationally on larger numbers by the Research Unit. There have been only few ringing returns but at least some of the cleaned birds became reintegrated with the breeding populations after release. Even with appropriate organization and facilities it is doubtful whether the rescue and treatment of oiled birds can make a material contribution to seabird conservation, but there is often strong public pressure for the treatment of oiled birds and the development of suitable techniques makes this possible. Key words: oiled seabird rescue, conservation, water-repellent plumage