Starving Common Murres Overwhelm CA Seabird Rescue Center - 15X Normal Numbers
A huge influx of weak, starving seabirds have been overwhelming a Fairfield bird rescue center over the past month, officials with the center said. International Bird Rescue's San Francisco Bay Center took in 150 common murres in August. According to center spokesman Russ Curtis, the center normally does not see more than 10 murres per month during this time of year.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, common murres are diving seabirds with tuxedo coloring similar to that of penguins.
Many of the birds transported to the center have been found on Rodeo Beach in Marin County, Ocean Beach in San Francisco, and even as far as Monterey Bay, Curtis said.
Most of the rescued birds are young, malnourished chicks that are exhausted and unable to maintain their body temperature, according to rescue center officials. "There is some speculation that this is because of the change in some of the weather patterns," Curtis said. "The ocean temperature is rising in California, causing fish that the birds eat to dive down deeper."
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http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_28745765/hundreds-starving-seabirds-overwhelm-fairfield-bird-rescue-center
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