Seabirds mysteriously covered in oil are turning up on Pacific Northwest coastlines

Seabirds are turning up coated in oil along Pacific Northwest coastlines, and wildlife officials are trying to figure out why.

An oiled common murre was first discovered May 19, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Ben Anderson told McClatchy news by email.

Additional reports of the birds have been made through Wednesday, May 22, in Washington and Oregon, Anderson said.

In Oregon, wildlife officials found four seabirds in Manzanita, Lincoln City and in Cannon Beach/Haystack Rock area, he said.

These birds are being cared for by wildlife rehabilitators.

In Washington, the black and white birds have been spotted in the Long Beach Peninsula, which is in the southwestern part of the state and borders Oregon.

Four birds were put into rehabilitation and six birds were “either dead on arrival or euthanized due to other injuries in addition to the oiling,” Anderson said.

In the meantime, wildlife officials have been trying to figure out where the oil is coming from.

Anderson said teams have been assessing shorelines and using flights to look for sheens from above.

Sheens look like a shiny or rainbow reflection on the water, according to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy in British Columbia, Canada.

They can occur naturally or from petroleum products polluting the water, the ministry said.

Investigation into tar balls

Tar balls were found in Washington and are being investigated, Anderson said.

They are dark chunks of oil that can pop up on beaches from oil spills or can come from natural oil seeps, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A tar ball can be crusted on the outside with a gooey and soft, oily inside, officials said.

However, it’s still not clear where the oil is coming from.

What to do if you see oiled wildlife

If anyone stumbles upon wildlife covered in oil in Washington or Oregon, they should report it by calling 1-800-222-4737.

The public should not remove any wildlife on their own “as this can increase stress on an already-stressed animal,” Anderson said. Oil is dangerous when it comes into contact with wildlife.

“Since most oils float, the creatures most affected by oil are animals like sea otters and seabirds that are found on the sea surface or on shorelines if the oil comes ashore,” NOAA said.

When oil coats seabirds, they are unable to keep themselves warm with their feathers, so they can die from hypothermia, the federal agency said.

They can also be poisoned if they clean their oil-covered feathers.

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