How to Clean Birds After Oil Spills

If you find a bird affected by an oil spill, there are a number of ways you can help save its life. Whether the bird is covered with oil or has a small, dime-sized blob on its feathers, the result can be fatal. Try to locate a rescue center in your area, where experts take care of these birds. If you can't find one, follow these steps.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Oral fluids
• Soft, damp cloth
• Eye saline solution
• Tub
• Dawn dishwashing liquid
• Net bottom cage
• Air warmer

1. Make sure the bird is medically stable before trying to remove the oil. Washing a stressed bird possibly suffering from dehydration and hypothermia can be fatal.

2. Give the bird oral fluids and nutrition first. Check with a vet or local animal rescue operation about what he should eat. Clean oil and dirt from his eyes, nasal and oral cavities with a damp, soft cloth and apply eye saline solution.

3. Wash the bird once she's stable in a tub with clean water and one percent of Dawn dishwashing liquid. Continue with several tub washes using clean solutions each time until you carefully remove all oil from the bird.

4. Place the bird in a net bottom cage with a warm air dryer.

5. Put the bird in a warm water tub, where he must preen himself to restore his natural waterproofing. Then move him to a cold water tub to get him acclimated to the temperature change.

6. Check the bird to make sure she is waterproofed, hydrated and a healthy weight before releasing her.