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The International
Bird Rescue Research Center is known throughout the world
as one of the leading authorities on the care and rehabilitation
of aquatic birds that are victims of oil spills. However,
many people are not aware that IBRRC also operates year-round
rehabilitation clinics and research facilities in both northern
and southern California.
In Northern California, our home office and wildlife
rehabilitation center is housed at the San
Francisco Bay Oiled Wildlife Care & Education Center
located in Solano County at Cordelia, California. The Los
Angeles Oiled Bird Care & Education Center, located in
San Pedro, California (near LA Harbor) is home to our southern
California rehabilitation clinic.
IBRRC's rehabilitation program concentrates on
aquatic species, as these are the animals most commonly affected
in oil spills. Taking advantage of the large numbers and variety
of water birds admitted for care at the rehabilitation centers,
IBRRC continues to develop new and better methods of animal
husbandry and medical treatment. This not only helps those
birds but also makes us better prepared to treat aquatic species
during an oil spill event. Current areas of interest include
developing appropriate doses of antifungal medications in
seabirds, exploring improvements in nutritional supplementation,
and refining the use of warm water therapy pools for debilitated
water birds.
Over 140 species have been treated in the California
rehabilitation program, from albatross
and swans to tiny sandpipers and rails. This ongoing program
has allowed IBRRC to gain extensive experience and expertise
in seabird bird care. In addition, outdoor housing space is
dedicated to pools and aviaries designed to meet the specialized
needs of aquatic birds. As a result, the program receives
birds from rehabilitation centers throughout the state (Wings
on Wheels), and consults on both a national and an international
basis on this subject.
The San Francisco
Bay Oiled Wildlife Care & Education Center is located
just south of Fairfield in the town of Cordelia. This facility
is one of a series being constructed throughout the state
of California by OWCN to provide best achievable care to oiled
wildlife. This newly built facility is over 12,000 square
feet and capable of housing and treating over a thousand animals
in the event of a major oil spill off the Northern California
coast. The building contains rooms devoted to intake, food
preparation, surgery, necropsy, a wash and rinse room with
12 stations, and walk in freezers capable of storing up to
a ton and a half of fish. A separate 2,000 square foot building
is devoted to office space for IBRRC staff, a research library,
training and education.
Built on three acres of land bordering the Suisun Marsh, the
outdoor areas have cold pools and warm therapy pools. Aviaries
of different sizes will allow recuperating birds to be in
natural light.
IBRRC and the California Oiled Wildlife Care Network
(OWCN) are pleased to also open
a new Southern California center.
Located in San Pedro, this facility is one of series being
constructed throughout the state by the OWCN to provide best
achievable care to oiled wildlife. Like the San Francisco
Bay area facility, this center is capable of handling up to
1000 birds in the event of an oil spill in southern California.
IBRRC will occupy and operate the facility and, in addition
to spill response, will conduct a year-round aquatic bird
rehabilitation program, caring for injured, diseased, and
orphaned water birds.
This building is approximately 10,000 square feet
of which 1/3 is dedicated to public reception, education and
administration. The remaining 2/3 is devoted to animal care
and includes intake, hospital, animal holding, food preparation,
necropsy, and wash and rinse rooms. Pools and aviaries are
outdoors. The facility includes two classrooms one of which
is furnished as a science lab and the other for lectures.
These will be used by the Los Angeles Unified School District
to provide curriculum in marine studies to students grades
K though 12. Because birds under going rehabilitation may
not be on exhibit, the public reception area is equipped with
TV monitors where guests can watch, in real time, what is
happening in the hospital and in the pool areas without causing
undue stress to the animals.
IBRRC looks forward to being able to provide care
for water birds in this facility that is designed to do just
that. We are excited to be able to provide more extensive
educational opportunities to both the general public and students.
Through these efforts we think the Los Angeles Oiled Bird
Care an Education Center will prove to be an asset to the
community and we look forward to activating these programs.
IBRRC would like to thank Long Beach Natural Resources Trust
and Chevron Products Corporation for their generous support. |
