Oregon Coast Aquarium Rescues Common Murre

The Oregon Coast Aquarium successfully rehabilitated a common murre found entangled in fishing line by recreational crabbers in Yaquina Bay. According to Karen Anderson, the newly-announced curator of birds, the aviary staff and a local veterinarian provided specialized first aid and medical treatment for the stricken bird. The rehabilitated murre was recently released off the South Jetty, where it calmly joined a group of murres in the bay.

NEWPORT, Ore -- The Oregon Coast Aquarium successfully rehabilitated and released back to the wild a common murre found entangled in fishing line on August 11 in Yaquina Bay by recreational crabbers. According to Karen Anderson, the newly-announced curator of birds, the aviary staff and a local veterinarian provided specialized first aid and medical treatment for the stricken bird.

She noted the crabbers were sent to the Aquarium with the tangled murre by U.S. Fish & Wildlife officials and that it also had several fish hooks imbedded in its wings and in its nostril. Some of the hooks were removed by one of the crabbers Aquarium aviculturists, while one had to be taken out by Newport veterinarian, Dr. Steven Brown. The murre was held at the aquarium while it received medical treatment and plenty of fish to ensure a successful recovery.

Anderson added the murre was very comfortable with the Aquarium staff who cared for it, and that it rested comfortably in its quarters -- a large, secluded tank where it could maintain its muscle condition while waiting for release.

The successfully rehabilitated common murre was recently released off the South Jetty by Aquarium aviculturists Stacy Strickland and Todd Dunkirk. Other murres, with their recently fledged youngsters, were swimming nearby. Strickland reported that when released from its carrier, the rehabilitated bird swam calmly towards the group of murres in the bay.

The common murre is related to the locally abundant pigeon guillemots, murrelets and puffins, with a distinctive dark slender bill and body offset with a bright white breast and belly. It lives out in the open ocean, coming ashore only to breed, and dive for its food, generally eating any type of thin, long fish they can find.

"This was the 22nd wild bird taken in by the Aquarium aviculture department this year for rehabilitation," Anderson explained. "Many seabirds found debilitated on local beaches are too sick with disease or starvation to save, even with the best efforts of bird rescue experts. It's very rewarding when we get to release a bird back into the wild which we were able to help."

Well known as the rehabilitation site of Keiko the killer whale, the Oregon Coast Aquarium has rehabilitated and released (when possible) injured seabirds, endangered fur seals, harbor seal pups, tropical sea turtles and other marine animals as facilities allow.

For additional information about the Oregon Coast Aquarium, surf www.aquarium.org or call 541-867-FISH.

# # #

Downloadable image links of the rehabilitated murre & its release:

http://www.aquarium.org/press/pictures/RehabAnimalsPictures/MurreRehab0802/RehabMurreDuringReleaseOnJettyWithStaffAviculturistStacyStricklandB2ByAllenBlevins0802.jpg

http://www.aquarium.org/press/pictures/RehabAnimalsPictures/MurreRehab0802/RehabMurreTakesFlightOnJettyWithStaffAviculturistStacyStricklandByAllenBlevins0802.jpg

http://www.aquarium.org/press/pictures/RehabAnimalsPictures/MurreRehab0802/RehabMurreInTheWaterAfterReleaseByAllenBlevins0802.jpg