The young, fragile egrets and herons toppled from their treetop nests, dooming themselves to a quick death by a predator or a prolonged demise from starvation and dehydration.
Fortunately, there are people who are on watch and these ill-fated birds were rescued and rehabilitated. Thursday, they were returned to the open skies over the Bay Area.
Fairfield-based International Bird Rescue cared for the birds, providing medical assistance and support until they were old enough to fly away on their own. As part of a Day of Action, called by the organization, the healthy birds were released at Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Shoreline Park in Oakland.
Rescuers from the organization were joined by their partners, Golden Gate Audubon, East Bay Regional Park District, City of Oakland and the Lake Merritt Institute. All of the organizations assist Bird Rescue in patrolling the areas around Lake Merritt and Oakland where birds are nesting, rescuing the ones in distress.
So far this year, 23 herons and egrets from the sensitive downtown Oakland rookery have been brought to Bird Rescue’s San Francisco Bay-Delta wildlife center.
Staff at the center has cared for hundreds more herons and egrets from around the bay. Last year, more than 250 black-crowned night herons and more than 270 snowy egrets were treated at the center, most eventually becoming healthy enough after care to be released back into the wild.
International Bird Rescue has two centers in California, one in the Bay Area and one in Southern California. They specialize in aquatic birds, such as pelicans, ducks, geese, gulls, herons, egrets, cormorants and grebes. The organization depends on donations, grants and contracts to keep the centers up and running.
Bird Rescue also is the go-to agency when oil spills happen anywhere around the globe. They have perfected methods for treating birds injured by the oil, and in removing the sticky substance from their feathers. The group partnered with Dawn dishwashing soap for 40 years.
After the bird release, volunteers moved on to Sailboat House at Lake Merritt, where they cleaned up the shore and surrounding area to make it safer for birds and other creatures.
Birds often mistake plastic and fishing tackle for food, a bad choice that sickens, injures and kills waterbirds. The birds also can become entangled in discarded fishing line, causing injuries and restricting their flight and thus their ability to eat and avoid predators.
The Day of Action was intended to alert people about the need to protect and care for waterbirds and wildlife. Bird Rescue asks for help in caring for birds in need through donations, and by reporting sick or injured aquatic birds to local animal control offices or by calling the center directly at 707-207-0380.
Donations can be made online or by mailing the center at 4369 Cordelia Road, Fairfield, 94534.
