Success of attempts to rehabilitate oiled hooded plovers Thinornis rubricollis at Phillip Island and Kilcunda, Victoria, Australia

Published Source

Weston M.A., Dann P., Jessop R., Fallaw J., Dakin R. & Ball D. (2008) Can oiled shorebirds and their nests and eggs be successfully rehabilitated? A case study involving the threatened hooded plover Thinornis rubricollis in south-eastern Australia. Waterbirds, 31, 127-132 (added by: Pople R.G. 2010).

Background

In south-eastern Australia, the hooded plover Thinornis rubricollis is vulnerable to oil spills owing to its preference for high-energy ocean shores. This study investigated the success of attempts to rehabilitate hooded plovers at Woolamai Beach (38°55'S, 145°34'E; Phillip Island) and Kilcunda (38°56'S, 145°48'E), on the central Victorian coast, following a major oil spill (around 25,000 litres of heavy fuel oil) during late February 2003.

Action

During surveys of c. 3 km of beach at Woolamai (6–9 March 2003) and around 4 km of beach at Kilcunda (5 and 16 March 2003), two hooded plovers were recorded that were sufficiently affected by oil to warrant intervention.

On 5 March, a juvenile with oil over around half of its belly was captured at Kilcunda, and on 8 March an oiled adult was captured at Woolamai. In both cases, birds were caught using noose carpets, and transported to the Phillip Island Nature Park Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for cleaning. Cleaning involved gently sponging warm (38°C) water and Divo+ V2® detergent into the affected plumage, and then rinsing several times with warm water. Before release, birds were held for one hour in a box in a warmed cubicle at approximately 25°C.

Consequences

The rehabilitated juvenile was not located for over a year after its release, but was eventually reported around 14 km from its release site on five occasions between 16 October 2004 and 6 June 2005. On 1 November 2004, it was found to be incubating two eggs.

The rehabilitated adult was observed two days after its release, and on numerous further occasions (always within 500 m of its release site) until 27 April 2006. During the 2004–2006 breeding seasons, the bird had eight nests (13 eggs), resulting in two hatched chicks.

Note: If using or referring to this published study, please read and quote the original paper, the abstract of which can be viewed at: http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1675/1524-4695%282008%2931%5B127%3ACOSATN%5D2.0.CO%3B2.