Spot a fallen seabird? Come to its rescue with a towel and box

Hawai‘i residents are being asked to keep their eyes peeled for grounded seabirds during “fallout season” from now until mid-December. And, they should have a small towel and a perforated box handy for rescue missions.

People can also help by using bird-safe lights at homes and businesses, according to the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The focal point of concern is young seabirds who, every fall, venture away from their nest for their first flight over the ocean. It’s easy for these rookie pilots to get disoriented by artificial light, collide with man-made structures or become exhausted and “fall out.” Grounded birds are vulnerable to vehicles on roadways or predators just about anywhere.

The US Fish and Wildlife Service, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife and licensed wildlife rehabilitation organizations like Save Our Shearwaters and the Hawai‘i Wildlife Center work together to protect seabirds that need help during fallout season.

Last year on O‘ahu alone, the Hawai‘i Wildlife Center took in more than 700 fallen seabirds.

Working from a small corner of the Honolulu Zoo, the center’s Rachael Sitzer has been preparing for a busy fallout season.

“Every single bird, in our eyes, needs a full veterinary evaluation whether or not they appear healthy,” Sitzer said. “Whether or not they need extensive, actual medical care is determined during the exam. That includes checking things like waterproofing of their feathers if they got contaminated. That’s not something the bird is going to know is wrong with it. So, they might be acting fine, but actually, if you send them out to sea like that they could drown. So, every bird needs to be evaluated by a medical professional.”

While there are more than 20 species of seabirds that nest in Hawai‘i, the concern during fallout season pertains mostly to seabirds protected under state and federal law: ‘a‘o (Newell’s shearwater), ‘ua‘u (Hawaiian petrel), akē‘akē (Band-rumped storm-petrel), ‘ua‘u kani (wedge-tailed shearwater) and ʻou (Bulwer’s petrel).

Last week, Sitzer was caring for a couple of Bulwer’s petrels, which are among the earliest to experience fall out.

“At this point in the year, we’re still having fuzzy chicks in the nest that might be starting to venture from their burrows a little bit, so we want to make sure that we’re not taking a chick unnecessarily that doesn’t need help,” Sitzer said. “But certainly, if we’re getting toward November and you find a bird in your yard, your driveway, in the street, your parking lot, or struggling in the water to stay afloat, or on the beach staying in the same spot a long time, those are all indications that a bird might need help.”

Wildlife rehabilitators and federal and state experts say being able to recognize these signs is important. They recommend preparing in advance by having boxes handy in your car and at your house. Poke holes in them for ventilation and have a clean towel at the bottom. Also have a clean towel or a piece of cloth to place over the bird and gently pick it up around the body and place it in the box. Finally, know the location of certified drop-off sites.

The bird version of the three R’s: Recognize, Respond, Rehab.

Recognize:

• Recognize the signs of whether the seabird truly needs help. Young seabirds are often seen sitting outside their burrows in coastal areas and do not need help. These birds must be left alone. If the seabird is an unsafe environment, such as the side of the road, next to a building, or under a streetlight, then it likely needs help.
• Contact Division of Forestry and Wildlife or a wildlife rehabilitation facility for questions or assistance determining if the bird needs help.

Respond:

• If it is determined that the seabird needs help, prepare a ventilated container, such as a pet carrier or cardboard box with holes and collect the bird by approaching it from behind and using a lightweight towel or cloth to gently pick up the bird.
• Do not give it any food or water. Place the container in a quiet, dark location, away from people, animals, loud noises and extreme temperature changes. Do not attempt to release the bird on your own. 

Rehab:

• Bring the seabird to a licensed wildlife rehabilitation facility, downed wildlife drop-off location, or veterinary clinic as soon as possible. When dropping off the bird, please provide the date and time and location of when/where you found the bird. This information can help wildlife biologists and managers to prevent seabird fallout in the first place.

Prior to any bird being released, Sitzer advised: “We have a really long list of criteria that all the birds have to meet in order to be considered releasable. Once we feel they meet all that criteria we take them to a controlled release site where we can safely let them fly out to sea. But sometimes these fledglings don’t want to go. They might not feel ready, so we just give them the time that they need physically and mentally in order to go out to sea.”

Simple changes at home or at your business can help reduce the potential for seabirds to confuse artificial lights with natural moonlight.

• Keep unnecessary outdoor lights off during the autumn months and close your curtains at night to minimize the impact of indoor lights.
• For outdoor lights that must stay on at night, consider adding shields that direct light downward or using direction lights that only project toward the ground.
• Using low-intensity lights can also help minimize risks.
• Examples of seabird-friendly lighting are available here.