Rescue personnel carefully transported the eggs and chicks—some only a few days old—to International Bird Rescue
More than 60 double-crested cormorant eggs and several chicks were rescued from a failing tree in Marina del Rey and are now receiving intensive care, officials said.
According to the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, a large branch fell from the tree several weeks ago, damaging a nearby trash enclosure. Officials determined the tree was structurally unsound and needed to be removed to prevent further hazards.
“Unfortunately, it was a nesting tree with five or six nests,” said Nicole Mooradian, a spokesperson for the Department of Beaches and Harbors. “We worked with International Bird Rescue in San Pedro, arborists, and contractors to take the tree down carefully, bit by bit, to safely recover the nests.”
Rescue personnel carefully transported the eggs and chicks—some only a few days old—to International Bird Rescue, where they are receiving around-the-clock care.
“It was a race against time to make sure these birds were removed safely,” said Kylie Clatterbuck of International Bird Rescue. “When they’re born, they have no feathers, their eyes aren’t open, and they rely completely on their parents for survival.”
The organization has staff dedicated to feeding the chicks hourly and uses specialized techniques to minimize human imprinting, such as wearing costumes to reduce visual contact.
International Bird Rescue has experience handling large-scale rescues of displaced eggs and chicks from hazardous areas. “We have high hopes that these birds will be released back into the wild and become successful members of their communities,” Clatterbuck said.
