2.2.11 Shoreline and opportunistic surveying

Many of us enjoy the coast and walking along the high tide line of a beach can sometimes yield unexpected finds, such as seabirds that have been washed ashore. Exposed beaches often yield more results than do estuarine coastlines. In some countries (e.g., Aotearoa New Zealand and Australia) there are regular beach patrols with organised groups, in some places monthly. This would not be feasible on most Pacific islands, but opportunistic findings can yield important information. These dead or dying seabirds can provide an important additional way to collect data on seabirds. Opportunistic discoveries such as these can be used in several ways, including (i) discovering new species records or extending known breeding distributions, (ii) helping chart migration routes and wintering grounds, or (iii) identifying conservation threats such as oil spills, entanglement (or direct capture) in fishing gear or disease outbreaks. In this section we will consider what to do if you find a dead or dying seabird on the shoreline.

Health and Safety

Firstly, it is important to stress that dead birds, like anything dead on the shore, should be considered a health hazard. These birds could indicate a disease outbreak (such as avian flu, H5N1) and so every caution should be used to protect yourself. If there are many dead birds, then assume the worst, do not touch them, take as many photographs as possible, and contact your local health authority. If it is a single carcass, then it is safer to proceed as outlined below, but pay attention to personal health and hygiene, use disposable gloves if you have them, limit the amount of contact to the body, and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.

Identification

Accurate identification of birds is essential but is not always easy. It depends on the state of the bird, and whether it is a common species for that area, or not. Certain seabird groups can be notoriously tricky to tell apart (e.g., petrels, shearwaters, or storm-petrels), with the added complication of different colour morphs between species or different plumages depending on age (e.g. boobies). Getting a good record of any seabird found on beaches is extremely important, as our knowledge of their distribution in the tropical Pacific is poorly known. These could be birds that are migrating into and through Oceania or breeding within the region.
To ensure the best chance of identification, it is vitally important to take photographs. A wide range of photographs are needed:

1. Overview photo of the whole bird – both upper and lower surfaces
2. The upper and undersides of the wings
3. Close ups of head and bill
4. Close ups of feet and legs
5. The upper and undersides of the tail.

When taking these photographs also provide scale – anything on you can be used, such as a match box, lighter, camera lens cap, or even a sandal (be sure to note the size), or your hand.

Taking this one step further, if you have a way of safely collecting the carcass (such as a plastic bag), collecting the body is extremely useful. If you cannot collect the carcass then collecting a couple of feathers and putting them in a bag would be another useful step. Once the carcass has been collected, it should be either taken to an organisation in your country that works with seabirds or stored in a freezer (but NOT one you keep your food in!) until you wish to look at it further. These carcasses are useful for obtaining key measurements to resolve identification issues – and this is best done with measuring instruments like a ruler (items that you will unlikely have at hand while walking along the shoreline).

Send the details with photographs to the Pacific Seabird Advisory Group contact for expert advice on what you have found (see Section 5.2).

Live birds

If the bird you find on the shore is still alive, carefully collect the bird using the steps outlined in Section 3.2. Contact whatever local organisation deals with rescue and rehabilitation, or if there are none, consider consulting a veterinarian. Do not attempt to feed the bird or give it water as if done improperly, this has the potential to cause immediate death. Put in a cardboard box with adequate ventilation, to reduce stress, birds need quiet and dark.