Dozens of double-crested cormorant chicks and eggs were rescued from a damaged tree in Marina del Rey earlier this month.
The eucalyptus tree at Burton Chace Park was damaged by high winds, with “the impending failure of the rest of the tree” posing a danger to the birds and park visitors alike, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors.
The decision was made to extract 20 nests from the tree as branches were cut down, and those more than 60 eggs and chicks were taken to International Bird Rescue’s Los Angeles Wildlife Center in San Pedro on March 10.
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An International Bird Rescue employee uses a puppet to feed baby double-breasted cormorants in a March 2025 photo. (Ariana Gastelum) -
The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors shared this March 2025 image of a cormorant nest with chicks and an egg. -
The Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors shared this March 2025 image of a cormorant nest with multiple eggs. -
An incubator holding cormorant eggs is shown in a March 2025 photo shared by the International Bird Rescue. (Emily Werdal)
Footage shared by the Bird Rescue show employees using adult cormorant puppets to feed the chicks, as they’re fed by their parents in the wild. Elsewhere, dozens of eggs can be seen in an incubator.
“Feeding and caring for hatchlings is a delicate and time-consuming process, and Bird Rescue clinic staff are working into the night each day helping raise these birds,” DBH explained in a news release. “Many of the rescued chicks may be in care for up to three months.”
As a result, the Bird Rescue is asking the public for financial help to care for the cormorants. To donate, visit their website.
