South Devon Seabird Trust.

This Trust has developed a methodology which enables over 70% of the seabirds affected by chronic oil pollution to be returned to the wild, and post release information to-date shows 38.7% have survived over a year. The percentage of ring recoveries and median time mirror those of non-rehabilitated birds. Results of our twenty year study, during which time 1,063 rehabilitated Guillemots were ringed, supports the view that Guillemots respond well to treatment, provided the methodology employed is sound and not based on misguided theories.

The reason that some other rehabilitation centres have not performed very well in the past is that they have wrongly assumed that these birds should be returned to the wild as a matter of urgency. In some cases as little as 72 hours was considered an adequate time to hold them whereas in fact this was insufficient time to even achieve waterproof plumage and certainly nowhere near the time required to restore them to good health. Consequently Guillemots which were released prematurely soon returned to shore moribund or washed up dead a few days later. They had no chance of survival in the harsh environment to which they were returned. It is hardly surprising therefore that the two reports - Sharp and BTO should record median times of 9.6 days and 7 days respectively.

Auks can be held for several weeks without damage to feet or plumage. Oiled birds require at least 3 weeks to recover from their ordeal (some as much as 4 – 6 weeks). Those admitted in poor moult can be held for months in order to moult through, with no ill effects.

Centres with poor results also considered success or failure depended upon release weights and routinely destroyed small birds, when in fact the weights of Guillemots can vary a great deal. This Trust has recorded release weights of 685g to over 1100g. Provided the length of recovery time has been satisfied at the rehabilitation centre, birds should be judged for release upon fitness, not weight.