A Rare Bird Wrapped In Fishing Line Was Rescued In San Pedro. Here's What We Can Do To Help Keep Birds Safe

A rare bird injured after getting entangled in fishing line is now recovering at a local animal rescue. The Yellow-billed Loon is expected to make a full recovery, but the incident highlights the dangers fishing lines and other recreational fishing gear pose to the species.

The loon was found last week by birders who were drawn to Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro who were hoping to catch sight of the unusual bird.

The Yellow-billed Loon is a near-threatened species that is found in the arctic regions of Alaska and Canada. It's highly unusual, though not impossible, to see the bird along the Pacific Coast during winter, says JD Bergeron, CEO of International Bird Rescue in San Pedro, where the bird was taken for treatment after it was rescued.

Photo taken by a birder of the Yellow-billed Loon entangled in fishing line found near Cabrillo Beach Pier last week.

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Naresh Satyan

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International Bird Rescue

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"Loons most frequently when they are in the water are not right on shore because that's where more threats to them would be," said Bergeron, a birder himself. "I think they're probably usually passing by completely out of sight of humans because they don't come in close to shore. In this case, this bird was seen because it was entangled. A bird [in] trouble will generally try to beach itself."

The Yellow-billed Loon is just one of many birds harmed by recreational fishing gear that Bergeron's nonprofit has taken in and treated.

"Unfortunately, this is the number one reason we have surgical interventions for birds. Usually it's fishing hooks, fishing line," Bergeron said. "In this case, there was also a bit of netting that you can see."

Fishing gear accounts for an estimated 10% of disposable waste found in the oceans, according to Emily Parker, a marine and coastal scientist at the Santa Monica-based nonprofit Heal the Bay. So one way to help these animals, she says, is to leave no waste behind.

"Fishing gear is definitely a component of the disposable waste crisis," Parker said. "Angling is no different than any other outdoor activity. And the recommendation is always to leave no trace — leave the natural space as you encountered it."

The Yellow-billed Loon (right) is recovering in a pelagic pool alongside a Common Loon, who is also healing from injuries caused by fishing gear entanglement.

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Ariana Gastelum

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International Bird Rescue

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The Yellow-billed Loon found last week is recuperating from wounds to its wings and mouth. Bergeron and his staff is expecting a full recovery in the near future.

"In the case of loons, their stress level can actually make it difficult for them to heal properly," he said. "There's some scabs and some wounds that need to heal over before we can release her. But fingers crossed, we're optimistic at this point."

Tips to keep birds from getting hurt

If you fish:

• "An important piece of that is trying to limit waste," said Heal the Bay's Parker. "If you're using like a monofilament fishing line, something that's made out of plastic, cutting the line only if you absolutely have to."
• Do not leave fishing line in the water, Parker says. "[Make] sure that it's coming out of the water and that it's being put in a proper receptacle that it's either being recycled or thrown away."
• Keep track of your fishing equipment. "Anytime there's a challenge [or] you snag on a branch or whatever, not giving up so quickly and walking away," said International Bird Rescue's Bergeron. "Unfortunately, [that] is not the end of it for wildlife."

If you don't fish:

• Bergeron urges folks to be cognizant of interactions they have with wildlife, particularly in situations that seem out of the ordinary, because "often those unusual circumstances are a signal that something's wrong."

  He cites an example in San Francisco a few years ago, when a brown pelican was found in the middle of a popular park. "A lot of folks took selfies with the bird," he said. "But what was actually wrong was that bird was covered in tar, and it was so weakened that it couldn't escape people."