SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A Coast Guard HC-130 from Air Station Sacramento is flying to Astoria, Ore. Monday morning, to pick up approximately 200 to 300 rescued migratory birds and transport them back here to Sacramento.
The birds, which are federally protected, were rescued by the Wildlife Center of the North Coast in Astoria, Ore. The request for the transport came from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife after the center that was tending to the birds was overwhelmed by the number of animals it was receiving. The birds are being affected by a red tide phenomenon in the area that is impacting their ability to survive in the aquatic environment.
The HC-130 left Sacramento at about 9 a.m. to fly to Astoria with three seabird specialists from the International Bird Rescue Research Center. The plane will return at approximately 3 p.m. when the birds will be transported to a state-of-the-art oiled wildlife facility in the San Francisco Bay Area to be washed and rehabilitated.
