Rescued nests belonging to double-crested Cormorants are being cared for at International Bird Rescue's Los Angeles Wildlife Center.
Kat Schuster, Patch Staff
MARINA DEL REY, CA — Around 60 bird eggs and chicks were saved from a wind-damaged tree in Marina Del Rey earlier this month, according to a wildlife advocacy group.
The 20 rescued nests — which belong to a tree-nesting species called double-crested Cormorants — are now being cared for at the International Bird Rescue’s Los Angeles Wildlife Center.
In early March, the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors partnered with the Wildlife Center to rescue the birds from a wind-battered eucalyptus tree in Burton Chace Park. The towering tree had sustained damage from heavy gusts, which led to the collapse of a large trunk. Officials say it was only a matter of time before the rest of the tree withered away.
"Unfortunately, the tree was a popular nesting spot for cormorants, but the growing cracks along its remaining trunk, instability at its base due to the recent trunk collapse, and location next to a public walkway and parking lot meant it needed quick removal to protect visitors and wildlife,” according to county officials from DBH.
On March 10, the nests, which contained about three to four eggs each, and the chicks were gently removed from the decaying tree by a wildlife biologist and delivered to the Wildlife Center in San Pedro. There, some of the birds have already hatched and more are being incubated.
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The center urges that feeding the hatchlings is a "delicate and time-consuming process," which is why it's asking the public to help financially support the effort. A donation can be made here.
"The clinic staff is working into the night each day helping raise these birds," according to the center. "Many of the rescued chicks may be in care for up to three months."
The eggs are likely at differing stages since they were removed from several different nests. Typically, Cormorant parents take turns incubating the eggs over a month-long process, so the staff at the wildlife center are working long hours to support the seabirds.
Double-crested Cormorants, which are part of the Cormorant family, are highly adaptable and can thrive in a wide range of aquatic environments, both freshwater and saltwater, according to the Sacramento Audubon Society. They’re commonly found near rivers, ponds, reservoirs, swamps, lakes and coastal regions. These types of Cormorants rely on water for feeding and need sturdy perches — such as rocks, treetops or docks — for resting and drying their wings.
From May to July, Double-crested Cormorants form nesting colonies. They build their nests in trees or shrubs near water, but will also nest on sea cliffs, platforms, flooded logs, or directly on the ground in areas without strong trees, according to the society.
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