A wave of dead seabirds washes ashore in Venice

More than 40 dead cormorants, the black birds known for perching on rocks and stretching their wings to dry, washed ashore on Venice Beach over the weekend.

“We don’t usually see that many,” said Nicole Mooradian, spokesperson for the L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors.

Carcasses lay strewn along the shoreline as the beach brimmed with weekend activity. Swimmers and loungers largely ignored them.

County employees found the dead birds Sunday morning and worked into the afternoon clearing them.

Since last fall, an influx of dead and emaciated seabirds washing up on California beaches has had the attention of wildlife experts. They say many of the deaths are probably tied to lack of food — an extreme marine heat wave is causing fish, the birds’ prey, to travel north or deeper underwater. Parasites and infections are also thought to be contributing factors.

The cause of death for this weekend’s cormorants is unknown. The county Department of Public Health said that by the time it was able to evaluate reports of the dead birds, the animals had been removed.

It saw no elevated risk to the public.

There are three species of cormorants in Southern California: double-crested, Brandt’s and pelagic. They dive for fish, and only their neck and head stick out of the water when they swim. Up close, their eyes are very colorful.

Typically, when dead seabirds are found, the Department of Beaches and Harbors has its crews photograph them and, if requested, transport them to local wildlife organizations for analysis. If the department is short-staffed, however, it discards the animals through its “normal disposal services.” That’s what happened this weekend.

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Bird flu has not been identified as a driver of the recent die-off, but the detection of the disease among marine life in the Bay Area this spring prompted the California Department of Public Health to advise the public to stay 150 feet away from all marine animals and seabirds when possible.

If you see a debilitated seabird, do not not to touch it, attempt to feed it, remove any embedded fishing hooks or take photographs with it, the California Fish and Wildlife Department advises.

If the seabird is stranded, contact a local wildlife rehabilitation facility. Dead birds can be reported to California Fish and Wildlife.