Oiled birds receiving treatment at LA Bird Rescue center in San Pedro

An oil slick off the coast of Santa Barbara and Ventura has brought 96 oiled Western grebes to the International Bird Rescue center in San Pedro for treatment.

Bird Rescue officials outlined the situation on Thursday, Nov. 6, during a media briefing at its center in San Pedro’s Angels Gate Park.

The influx of oiled seabirds began arriving after the discovery of an approximately 1 square-mile oil slick off the Santa Barbara coast. Since Monday, Nov. 3, Western grebes — long-necked diving birds that spend most of their lives on the water —  have been receiving critical care, with their initial stabilization taking place at the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network.

After that, they were transferred to Bird Rescue’s Southern California Wildlife Center in San Pedro.

Additional birds could still arrive.

The U.S. Coast Guard, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response are investigating the source of the oil. Current information suggests the slick may be related to seep activity, a natural leak of crude oil and gas that migrates up through the seafloor and ocean depths during storms. Laboratory confirmation is pending.

“An oil seep of this magnitude can harm thousands of birds,” the center’s CEO, JD Bergeron, said in a written comment. “This is exactly the kind of situation where immediate, skilled care makes the difference between life and death for these birds. But we cannot do it alone – we urgently need the public’s support.”

Bird Rescue, a nonprofit that has been in operation for 55 years, is issuing an urgent call for public support as it responds to this incident, needing help covering all costs required to treat impacted wildlife. Donations can be made at birdrescue.org/donate-oiled-birds-2025.

Western grebes do not typically come ashore, rescue officials said, so if they are seen on a beach, they probably need immediate assistance. The birds can be recognized by their long-necks, with black on top and white underneath. They have bright red eyes and olive-yellow, pointed bills. If the bird’s feathers are patchy, clumped or “dirty-looking,” the bird may be oiled, wildlife officials said.

The center responds to an array of bird emergencies, including oil spills that impact wildlife.

Oiled birds that come into care are first stabilized with heat, nutrition and fluids.

The birds are then washed by trained staff and volunteers with warm water and Dawn dish soap, a proven cleaning agent gentle and safe enough on birds but strong enough to remove harmful debris. Birds recover in care, regaining their strength and waterproofing, and any secondary injuries until they can be released back to the wild.

Bird Rescue has responded to similar incidents in 2013, when 77 oiled common murres affected by natural seep came into the Los Angeles center and again in 2019, bringing in more than 150 oiled seabirds. In 2015, a “mystery goo” in the San Francisco Bay affected more than 300 birds — costing the organization more than $230,000.

Bird Rescue is often called upon to respond to seabirds in crisis before the cause of the incident has been determined. In a rapidly changing environment, the birds face numerous challenges.

Data collected during rehabilitation contributes to broader research efforts, while the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Los Angeles County Department of Veterinary Public Health continue investigating the factors contributing to birds being brought into the center.