Fishing Line Captures A Black Skimmer

The following story about a black skimmer was submitted by Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA in California.

Named for their behavior, black skimmers feed by opening their bill in flight and skimming over the surface of the water. This patient came to us on March 4, 2021, from San Francisco, entangled in fishing line.

Injuries due to fishing gear are all too common among sea-dwelling wildlife. Luckily, for this adult skimmer he suffered only minor abrasions and weighed 370 grams (about 13 ounces).

During the intake exam we discovered the patient was dehydrated and had overall poor feather quality, often due to lack of proper nutrition.

After initial hydration with lactated ringers, we started this bird on an oral tubing schedule using EmerAid IC Piscivore. Using EmerAid allowed us to provide much-needed, balanced nutrition to this unique patient.

Once stabilized, we transferred the black skimmer to International Bird Rescue to continue the rest of his recovery.