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VOLUNTEER MANUAL

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

PART I: MISSION AND HISTORY OF INTERNATIONAL BIRD RESCUE Mission Statement ............................................................................................... 2 History ................................................................................................................... 3 Overview.............................................................................................................. 4 Policies.................................................................................................................. 5

PART II: VOLUNTEER POSITIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES Guidelines for Volunteers ................................................................................. 14

PART III: HEALTH AND SAFETY Safety Information............................................................................................. 13 Hygiene .............................................................................................................. 14 Zoonoses ............................................................................................................ 14 Parasites ............................................................................................................. 16 Additional Health and Safety Information ..................................................... 18

PART IV: ORIENTATION TO WORKING WITH BIRDS ............................................................. 21

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Welcome to International Bird Rescue!!! It is because of the dedicated work of individuals like yourself that International Bird Rescue (Bird Rescue) is able to offer and maintain such an exceptional wildlife rehabilitation center. Your assistance helps us better meet the needs of the animals and is deeply appreciated. As a new member of our crew, we hope to encourage and inspire your interest in all wildlife. We hope that your experience with us is safe and enjoyable, and also maximizes your potential in personal growth and your ability to aid society. We want you to enjoy what you’ve accomplished, even though you may not always enjoy all the individual tasks. Much of rehabilitation is repetitious cleaning, feeding, changing water in bowls and in pools, washing dishes and laundry, and so on. These are things that you may not find particularly engaging, so we try to maintain a positive work atmosphere. This is best achieved through good communication and honest feedback. When you come to Bird Rescue for your shift, do not be afraid to ask questions. In the next few pages, you will find some useful information about Bird Rescue. It is important that you read these before your interview. We hope this manual will provide you with a broader understanding of what we do. There is a suggested minimum $25 donation for all new volunteers. This covers the cost of trainings, supplies, nametags and the T-shirt you will received after you have completed Level 1 or six months of service,∗ and helps us with the cost of volunteer events. We truly appreciate your interest, and look forward to working with you. WELCOME, International Bird Rescue Staff Acknowledgements: International Bird Rescue would like to thank the following organizations for their input and support in compiling this document: Rockyview Wildlife Recovery Society, Orphaned Wildlife Rehabilitation Society, Lindsay Wildlife Museum, the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, and the International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council.

* The volunteer levels are explained within the Volunteer Manual.

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PART I

MISSION, HISTORY, AND VOLUNTEER GUIDELINES

Drawing by Mark Russell/International Bird Rescue Staff

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INTERNATIONAL BIRD RESCUE MISSION STATEMENT

International Bird Rescue is dedicated to mitigating the human impact on wildlife, specifically aquatic birds, worldwide. This is achieved through emergency response, education, research, and planning. What does this entail? Wildlife rehabilitation is the “treatment and temporary care of injured, diseased, displaced, or oiled indigenous wildlife and the subsequent return of healthy animals to appropriate habitats in the wild: This requires the provision of medical care, housing, nutrition, captive management, and release conditioning, while preserving wild integrity and quality of life.” The mandate of International Bird Rescue is as follows:

• To provide and maintain the best medical and husbandry care within our resources for the rehabilitation of injured and orphaned wildlife for release back into the wild, with the highest priority given to species at risk.

• To promote public education and awareness of wildlife issues. • To conduct research on wildlife issues that may or may not pertain to rehabilitation. • To research and follow-up current rehabilitation methods for enhancement and

improvement of future treatment. Bird Rescue has been incorporated since 1971. Over the years, our admission rate has grown exponentially, and will continue to do so as long as man persistently alters or destroys habitat and encroaches on wilderness areas. We are committed to conservation – not only the conservation of those species that come through our doors, but those beyond, whose survival we are all ultimately responsible for. As wildlife rehabilitators, we play an important advocacy role on behalf of native wildlife. Not only do we act as ambassadors, we may influence public perceptions and thereby have a significant effect on society’s respect for nature and subsequent protection of habitat and mitigation of human impact. We are not alone in this endeavor; many environmental agencies work hard for wildlife conservation. In working towards our goals, International Bird Rescue has partnered with several organizations and regulatory bodies: NWRA (National Wildlife Rehabilitators

Association) OWCN (Oiled Wildlife Care Network) IWRC (International Wildlife Rehabilitation

Council) IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare)

SANCCOB (Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds)

UC Davis Veterinary School UC Davis Wildlife Health Center California Department of Fish and Wildlife U.S. Department of Fish and Game U.S. Coast Guard

International Bird Rescue is subject to all laws and regulations regarding the captivity and treatment of wildlife, as well as the salvaging of carcasses and the use of animal parts for education and evidence.

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INTERNATIONAL BIRD RESCUE: A HISTORY OF SAVING OILED WILDLIFE In February of 1971, two tankers collided beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, spilling more than 800,000 gallons of crude oil. Little was known about oiled bird care at that time, and despite the courageous attempts of hundreds of volunteers, only 300 birds survived from the 7,000 birds collected. International Bird Rescue (Bird Rescue) was founded in the wake of this disaster with the primary goals of developing oiled wildlife cleaning and rehabilitation techniques, promoting ongoing research in this field, and providing state-of-the-art oiled wildlife response capabilities. As International Bird Rescue began to grow, it responded to an increasing number of oil spills outside of California and the United States, rapidly expanding its body of knowledge. Bird Rescue has cared for over 140 species of wild birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Based in Long Beach, California, Bird Rescue operates two facilities owned by the State of California that are specifically designed for oil spill response. These facilities are in the San Francisco Bay Area (Fairfield) and Los Angeles Area (San Pedro), CA. At our two facilities, Bird Rescue continues its research and provides oil spill response in California. The staff of Bird Rescue has published a plethora of literature on all subjects related to the field of oiled wildlife response and rehabilitation and the field of general aquatic bird rehabilitation. With an oil spill response team of 40 wildlife experts, Bird Rescue has managed the oiled bird rehabilitation efforts in over 200 oil spills in 11 states, including the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska, and the 2000 Treasure spill in Africa. Our international work has taken us to more than a dozen different countries and two U.S. Territories. International Bird Rescue provides training and consultation to the petroleum industry, local, state, and federal Fish and Wildlife agencies, wildlife rehabilitators, and researchers. Federal and state permits grant Bird Rescue permission to work with wild birds in captivity. International Bird Rescue is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization that relies on the petroleum industry, fees for services, state-generated response contracts, research grants, foundation grants, and individual contributions for financial support.

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BIRD RESCUE HOSPITAL GUIDELINES ~AN OVERVIEW~

Always remember that our patients are WILD animals, in an unnatural environment. The stress of human contact can harm them or kill them.

Work quietly! NEVER talk to any animal. Avoid having conversations with staff or volunteers while around the animals.

Do not handle or touch an animal unless directed to do so by a staff member or supervisor.

NEVER PUT YOUR FACE NEAR THE OPENING OF A CAGE OR CARRIER TO TAKE A PEEK AT WHAT’S INSIDE! This is an excellent way to lose an eye.

Report any animal’s change of behavior: lack of eating, discolored droppings or anything you feel is unusual or abnormal to a staff member or supervisor. You are the animals’ voices.

Avoid the spread of disease: WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY and wear protective gloves when cleaning.

Safety comes first! Do not handle any animal without proper training. Wear safety goggles and gloves when needed.

When using water outdoors, be sure to turn the tap off when tasks are completed

The Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is restricted. Do not enter unless requested to do so by a staff member or supervisor.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN and enjoy your experience with the animals. This is a rare opportunity for you to have first-hand experience with wildlife “up close”.

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INTERNATIONAL BIRD RESCUE POLICIES OVERVIEW WILDLIFE REHABILITATION

It is illegal in the state of California to keep any wildlife in your possession without a permit issued by the California Department of Fish and Game and USFWS. International Bird Rescue has been issued rehabilitation permits. As a result, we are able to take in, house, and care for injured, sick, or orphaned wild animals. Animals that cannot be released back into the wild are euthanized unless a suitable placement can be found with an education facility. Such placement happens infrequently because most qualified facilities are full, and most of the animals we treat are poor candidates for captivity. It is very

important to remember that rehab animals are not pets and are not to be played with. These animals should see humans as little as possible. Too much contact with humans can cause the animal a great amount of stress, and stress can kill an animal. Too much contact with humans can make an animal unafraid of people. If this occurs, the animal cannot be released, and it will most likely have to be euthanized. For the sake of the animals, please remember DON’T PLAY WITH, TALK TO, OR HAND-FEED THEM.

INTRODUCED SPECIES: International Bird Rescue’s rehabilitation program is based on the conviction that people have an obligation to provide assistance to injured, ill, orphaned wild animals in an attempt to mitigate human impact. In returning wild animals to their natural habitat, we strive to do no harm to the environment and to maintain or restore a balance of nature. We will not knowingly release into the wild any animal that may have deleterious effects on the habitat or its associated wildlife populations. In cases where an injured, ill, orphaned or oiled non-native species is admitted to International Bird Rescue and can be rehabilitated, it will be transferred to an appropriate facility.

EUTHANASIA: Humane euthanasia is a tragic but necessary part of our mandate. We will not release disabled animals into the wild unless specific research indicates their disabilities will not adversely affect their ability to survive. Such cases are rare. Nor will we imprison a crippled wild animal indefinitely. A few exceptional cases may be transferred to zoo collections, but the majority of non-releasable animals are euthanized. This includes animals that have become “habituated” or imprinted to humans. These animals would lack a fear of humans if they were released into the wild, and so will be humanely euthanized rather than released into certain suffering and death in the wild.

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PART II

VOLUNTEER RESPONSIBILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES

VOLUNTEER RESPONSIBILITIES: Once again, WELCOME. We strive to make volunteering here as rewarding to you as it is to the many other dedicated volunteers who work at our center. Depending on your interests and goals, you can advance from a new “Clinic Support” volunteer to an Animal Care Technician, learn new database tools, develop a computer networking program, or sharpen your construction skills. To help you obtain your goals in animal care, we have created the Volunteer Checklists so you can keep track of the steps you have taken to advance your skills and knowledge. A staff member will sign off each task as you learn them. It is your responsibility to follow-through with your advancement. If you want to be signed off of an item on your Checklist, grab a staff member sometime during your shift and discuss it with them. We are always happy to know that our volunteers are learning and are interested in learning more!

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GUIDELINES FOR VOLUNTEERS:

FOOD AND SMOKING: The training room and kitchen in the San Francisco Bay (SFBay) Center’s administrative building are designated for human use. In the Los Angeles (LA) Center, the kitchen in the break room is for human use. The refrigerator in the kitchen may be used to store perishables that you will consume on the day of your shift. Please do not use any food from the refrigerator that you have not brought without asking – most of this food belongs to our resident interns. Do not take any food or drinks into the clinic! (If you would like to bring a beverage or snack bar into the clinic building in the SFBay Center, you may leave it in the front foyer area while you consume it. DO NOT LEAVE BOTTLES OR WRAPPERS IN THIS AREA WHEN YOU LEAVE YOUR SHIFT.) You may also eat or drink outside the front gate, as long as you are careful not to litter. There is absolutely NO SMOKING ON THE PREMISES – inside or out. If you are a smoker, we ask that you do so in your car or in the parking lot and do not discard cigarette butts in the parking lot or in the yard. Please be very careful, as a cigarette ember presents a very real potential for starting a grass fire.

DRESS CODE: Wear comfortable clothes that could potentially be stained, torn, or bleached. We recommend bringing a change of clothes in case your clothes get wet or really dirty. Ideally, have a set of clothes that are worn only at the center and change into clean clothes before going home.

PLEASE do not wear hand lotions or perfumes while at the Center. Oils from your hands can get on a towel or dish, and from that towel or dish, onto a bird’s feathers. Remember, any contaminant on a bird’s feathers can interfere with their waterproofing, whether it is crude oil or hand lotion.

Closed-toed shoes must be worn while working at the Centers.

PUBLIC RELATIONS: As an International Bird Rescue volunteer, think of yourself as an International Bird Rescue ambassador. Even if you face an uncooperative or difficult person, you must remain polite and helpful. Please remember that when you talk to the public or the media, either on the phone or in person, that you are representing International Bird Recue and our mission. Whatever you say to a visitor becomes “Bird Rescue says…” rather than “I say…”. We want visitors and media to get correct information. Always be courteous, and remember that there is no such thing as a dumb question. If you are not sure of the answer, please check with a staff member before answering. It is always better to say “I don’t know, but I’ll ask” than to give out incorrect information. If someone arrives at the center with an injured animal, have him or her fill out a Rescuer Information Form, and find a staff member to speak with him or her.

PHONES:

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Do not answer the phones unless you have been trained to do so. If you are trained, answer the phone with a smile (one that can be heard even though it isn’t seen) and a pleasant greeting (“International Bird Rescue, this is Jane…”).

When questions are asked of you, do not attempt to answer if you don’t know the answer! Call upon a staff person to assist or, if no one is available, take a message and promise to call back later.

All calls regarding injured or orphaned wildlife are to be transferred to a staff member or supervisor.

Treat each caller with respect. No question is a stupid one.

When we are outside or unavailable, the answering machine picks up after the fourth ring. Messages need to be checked any time the light on the phone is blinking.

If a problem comes up with a visitor that you don’t feel comfortable with, get a staff member or supervisor to help you.

FAMILY AND FRIENDS: It is understandable to want to share International Bird Rescue with your friends and relatives. However, due to the sensitive nature of our patients and liability, friends and family are not allowed to accompany you on your scheduled shift. You may bring someone out for a personal tour with prior notice and all conditions met (see Public Tours). Requests to bring a guest must be made in advance. You may also encourage friends to attend one of our Volunteer Orientations or Open House events.

PUBLIC TOURS: International Bird Rescue accepts visitors by appointment only! Wild animals under human scrutiny feel threatened; this is manifested in both behavioral and physiological changes. Unscheduled visitors have caused serious injury to enclosed animals. Furthermore, improperly supervised visitors may unknowingly expose themselves to potential zoonotic diseases and/or parasites.

Conversely, if the animals in our care are not stressed by human observation, they may be too habituated and their chances of survival in the wild will be greatly compromised. To have them on public display is not in their best interest.

We will arrange for visits when requests are made by phone at least one day ahead, provided a mutually convenient time can be agreed upon. Visitors must also agree to be guided; certain parts of the facility may be off-limits to them due to highly stressed patients, quarantines or special projects.

TIME SHEETS: Volunteers are required to keep a log of their hours on a time sheet. The hours you record help us to:

• Provide special awards for achievement • Provide CDFG with information about volunteer

man-hours at rehabilitation centers across the state

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• Demonstrate volunteer dedication when seeking grants or other financial support.

Each time you come to the center, you must remember to fill in your personal timesheet, which is alphabetically stored in a 3-ring binder. Every so often, these sheets are summarized and filed. The analysis tells us who is coming out, how often, what kinds of tasks take up the most time, trends in volunteers who may be losing interest, and so on. For International Bird Rescue’s purposes, total hours of all volunteers may be significant when applying for grants. Each hour can be assigned with a dollar value that may be vital in a matched grant situation.

Be sure to include any hours spent driving to and from the Center if you have transported a patient or picked up supplies. This is considered a service to International Bird Rescue, and a very valuable one at that. Normal time spent driving to and from the Center cannot be included.

Tax note: Any driving you do to pick up injured animals or supplies, and even your mileage to the Center for your regular shift is tax-deductible. Keep track of the date and mileage, and we will give you a tax receipt at the end of the year.

Before you leave each day, please fill out your time sheet in the Volunteer Binder.

TIME COMMITMENTS: International Bird Rescue expects a yearly commitment of 90 hours per volunteer. If you can contribute more, GREAT! These 90 hours can be spaced out evenly over twelve months, or you may concentrate them according to your own personal schedule. Most volunteers contribute much more than 90 hours per year with no planning, but you may need to assess what works best for you.

COMMUNICATION: When you begin volunteering with International Bird Rescue, you will be asked to schedule a regular “shift.” If you find that this shift is not compatible with your schedule, it is your responsibility to notify the Volunteer Coordinator, and work out a more convenient volunteer schedule.

Announcements, newsletters, and special events calendars are posted in the main hallway of the clinic building (in the SFBay Center) or in the break room (in the LA Center) on the Volunteer Bulletin Board. Please check for these when you are at the Center. Try to remember to check it every shift so you won’t miss anything.

A volunteer bulletin Bird Bytes is produced for volunteers and emailed to our volunteers periodically. A copy is posted on the Volunteer Bulletin Board as well. If you don’t have email and would like a copy, just ask! Bird Bytes summarizes the latest happenings at Bird Rescue and helps keep volunteers up-to-date. If you have any input for Bird Bytes, please let a staff person know.

International Bird Rescue uses email frequently for requests for transport of animals, newsletters, information on upcoming trainings or events, etc. Please let the volunteer coordinator know if you would prefer to be contacted via US Mail rather than email.

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ABSENCES AND TARDINESS: Once you have committed to a shift, the staff will be counting on you for your shift. Our center cares for between 20-400 animals on a daily basis (more during the spring and summer months). We cannot possibly care for every animal without dependable scheduled support. Therefore, volunteers are critical to our daily operations, and the need for dependability and reliability is tremendous.

If you have to cancel a shift, please let us know as soon as possible, preferably at least one day ahead or more. Likewise, if you are going to be more than half an hour late, give us a call. Alternatively, if you have a free day and would like to come out during your spare time, please phone first to see if volunteers are needed. We are usually very excited to have more help! We plan duties and animal care based on who is coming out and how many volunteers are scheduled. If you know in advance of an upcoming absence, please try to find a substitute to cover your shift in advance. A substitute list is available from the Volunteer Coordinator. If you are unable to arrange for a substitute for your shift, please contact us as soon as possible.

If you are repeatedly late or do not bother to inform us of a cancellation, we will ask for reasons, or may assume that you have terminated your interest in volunteering. We may suggest 1) reassignment to a less demanding position or 2) resignation.

Volunteers are required to work a minimum of four hours a week (Clinic or Facilities Volunteer), or four hours a month (Clinic Support or Office Volunteer). Exceptions are okay if agreed upon with the Volunteer Coordinator or a staff member.

Once you have made the commitment to volunteer at International Bird Rescue, your supervisors are obligated to provide a safe working environment for you. This means teaching you proper handling techniques, making sure the appropriate equipment is available, and providing adequate supervision until you acquire enough experience to work on your own.

Training is an ongoing activity for all volunteers. As long as you’re willing to learn, we will continue to teach you new things. You can aspire to the most advanced skill levels we can offer, and beyond.

We will acknowledge your achievements through evaluation and recognition whenever possible. You may be asked to take on a specific task or project suited to your level of competence. You may be asked to represent International Bird Rescue in a specific capacity based on your qualifications. Your efforts may be acknowledged in the volunteer newsletter or on the bulletin board.

If you have new ideas, please share them with us. You may talk to us in person or use the Suggestion Box by the sign-in sheet. We monitor it regularly and address any communications submitted. You do not have to write your name on suggestion notes, though it may assist us in following through.

If you are unable to work your scheduled shift because of a planned event (vacation, family gathering, etc.), please find a substitute to cover your shift. If you are unable to find a replacement, please contact the volunteer coordinator or staff at least 3-5 days before the shift you will miss (this allows staff to reschedule non-critical treatments). If something comes up at the last minute before your shift, please let the staff know ASAP by leaving a message on the hospital line.

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DISMISSAL: Although we are loath to enforce this, grounds for dismissal are:

• Three absences without notice within a six month period • Five occasions of tardiness of over 30 minutes within two months • Poor work performance, including not following direction or inappropriate behavior

Please help us by keeping in touch with staff about irregularities in your schedule or changes in your commitment level so we can reach a mutually agreeable resolution to these kinds of changes. We recognize that your life outside the center may from time to time impose conflicts on your ability to maintain a regular volunteer schedule.

VOLUNTEER DUTIES: The primary job of International Bird Rescue volunteers is to assist the staff and supervisors in caring for the animals at the center. The majority of the work involved is cleaning cages, preparing food for the animals, and laundry. Many of the day-to-day duties involve hard physical labor, such as cleaning aviaries. However, not every job is physically demanding and many are very fun and rewarding, such as feeding baby birds and releasing rehabilitated animals.

Many volunteers have special assignments not directly involved with animal care and husbandry, such as data entry, building and maintaining enclosures, gardening, etc. Many of our volunteers do a little of everything. If clinic work is not appropriate for you, or if you have a special interest or special skills, please let us know.

REQUIRED CLASSES: All volunteers are required to attend orientation before they begin volunteering at the Center. Volunteers are also required to attend one Fish and Game approved class yearly. Classes are held periodically at the Center. Classes cover such topics as: intake and stabilization, warm water pool therapy, and washing oiled birds.

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BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING: If a person is interested in a career in working with animals, volunteering is the best place to start. To get a job working with animals, you must have experience; that isn’t something you can learn from a book – you simply have to do it.

International Bird Rescue is a great place for people who love working with animals. Here, you get to work with aquatic birds that most people rarely see from land. Taking an injured or orphaned animal, caring for it, and returning it to the wild is very rewarding. It is the motivation for all of us.

Possibly the best part about volunteering with International Bird Rescue is that it is fun – dirty, but fun – and a great way to make new friends while contributing to our environment. Everyone here has the same love of animals and nature that you do.

We hope that you enjoy your experience here with us, and thank you.

OPPORTUNITIES While we understand that volunteering with us is not necessarily a career choice for everyone, there are opportunities available for those interested. If you are dedicated and capable, opportunities such as becoming a full or part-time staff member or a member of our spill response team exist. If you are interested in oil spill response, volunteering with International Bird Rescue is an excellent opportunity for learning and experiencing an emergency response effort. Even if you are only able to be part of the International Bird Rescue family for a while, we gladly provide references in job searches, school applications, etc. based on the work you have performed for us. Your time here can contribute to your career, as well as a sense of personal satisfaction knowing that you are contributing to a worthy cause. We hope that you enjoy your work at International Bird Rescue. The staff and supervisors will always be available to answer any questions and to help you obtain your goals. It is important to note that if you only wish to advance to a certain level, then you can stop your training at any time.

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PART III Health and Safety Information

Our wildlife rehabilitation facility is a complex place designed to provide the best achievable care to the animals in our care. It is a very different place from a private house or an office building, so we must all do our part to navigate this environment safely. In everything we do, human safety comes first. After all, if we cannot keep ourselves safe, we cannot provide optimal care for the birds. These guidelines will cover important information you need to keep yourself safe in the facility, including specific information you can use to minimize the risk of contracting an illness or injury when working with wild birds. Who is the best person to monitor your safety? You are! Safety is the responsibility of each of us.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

• Arrive at the facility well rested, well fed and well hydrated. When we are physically at our best, we are the most alert and able to prevent accidents and injuries.

• If you are injured during your shift, tell your supervisor immediately and fill out an Accident Report Form.

• If you feel unsafe or have a concern about safety, please discuss your concerns with your supervisor immediately.

FACILITY SAFETY: Providing excellent care to wildlife requires us to use electric heaters, movable perches, food dishes, water hoses and special caging that are easy to slip or trip on. Avoid slips, trips and falls by being aware and observant of potential hazards in your area.

• Please be very careful when walking up and down the stairs to the pools. With recent rains or when fish is dropped on them, the steps can become very slippery.

• Electrical outlets, water faucets and other hardware in the yard are easy to overlook at dusk or if your attention wanders at the end of your shift. Remember that tiredness or changes in lighting may make you more likely to trip and fall.

Serious electrical shocks are a risk wherever water and electricity are being used. When possible, keep electrical cords away from wet areas.

• When electrical cords must be used near water, ensure that the cord is plugged into a GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter) outlet.

• If you do not know how to recognize a GFCI receptacle, please ask a staff member. A “near miss” is an event where an accident or injury is barely avoided, such as a fall that is prevented because you catch yourself at the last moment. One of the best ways to avoid accidents is to see the near miss as an important warning and then correct the situation to remove or minimize the risk. For example, if you trip over an unused piece of equipment on

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a walkway, pick up the equipment and put it where it belongs, in a place it isn’t likely to be tripped on.

• If you have a near miss, please tell a staff member so he or she can help you minimize future risk.

If you become injured during your shift or in the course of performing duties at the request of International Bird Rescue, please fill out an Accident Report Form. These forms are kept in the clinic next to the phone books. Completed Accident Report Forms should be given to the manager on duty.

SAFETY IN BIRD HANDLING: In handling birds, there is a risk of being injured by scratches, punctures or bites, contracting an infectious disease or coming into contact with a contaminant such as crude oil. The guidelines presented here allow us to handle birds and clean cages with minimal risk. It will not cover how to deal with contaminants such as crude oil because that training is beyond the scope of this document.

In order to be safe working around the birds, you must know about the risks you face as well as the protective measures you can use to mitigate these risks. General cleanliness and careful work habits will protect you from the vast majority of possible injuries or illnesses. TETANUS: There is a risk of getting a puncture wound from birds or from inanimate objects we work with. A puncture wound, in turn, carries a risk of tetanus. To protect yourself, please check with your physician and follow his or her recommendations for tetanus vaccination boosters. ZOONOSIS: A disease that can be transferred between an animal and a human is called a “zoonosis” [(zoo NO sis), plural: zoonoses or zoonotic diseases]. A zoonosis may or may not cause symptoms in a bird that is carrying it. The risk of contracting a zoonosis in working with wild birds in North America is relatively low, but it is still important to protect yourself as completely as possible. People with immunosuppressive conditions have an increased risk of contracting zoonoses and other infections. If you have an immunosuppressive condition or chronic illness, please consult your physician about your volunteer work with International Bird Rescue. Please let

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us know if you would like to volunteer but your health prevents you from working with birds; we often have volunteer opportunities that do not involve animal care or cage cleaning.

POTENTIAL ROUTES OF INFECTION: To protect yourself from zoonoses, it helps to know how zoonoses can infect us. The major routes of infection are ingestion, inhalation, injection and direct (skin) contact. Ingestion, or swallowing infectious material, is more likely to happen if we don’t wash our hands before eating, drinking or smoking. It can also happen if water from a cage splashes into someone’s mouth. Inhalation, or breathing in infectious material, can be an important route of infection when there is dried material (such as feces) that becomes powdery and blows around. It can be important with fungal diseases (such as aspergillosis) because fungi produce spores that drift easily through the air. Injection occurs when infectious material enters a body through a wound. This can occur if you’re taking a blood sample from a bird and inadvertently stab yourself with a needle. It can also occur if an insect bites a bird and then bites you; an example of this type of infection is West Nile virus being transmitted from a bird to a person by a mosquito. Direct contact, where an infectious organism only needs to touch us to cause an infection, is a useful mode of transmission for bacteria like MRSA. Skin that is abraded or otherwise unhealthy may be more susceptible to this type of transmission. PERSONAL PROTECTION: The use of barriers and good hygiene prevents the transmission of most zoonoses. The barriers we use, such as gloves and masks, are collectively known as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Here we’ll look at each potential route of transmission and what preventative measures we can take to protect ourselves against them. Ingestion

• Wear gloves when cleaning cages, handling dirty laundry or performing any other task that may put you into contact with bird feces.

• Always wash your hands after handling birds or things the birds have been in contact with.

• Always wash your hands before eating, drinking or smoking. • Always wash your hands before leaving for the day. • Wear a surgical mask when shaking out laundry to keep organic material from the

cages away from your mouth. Inhalation

• Higher risk whenever organic material is blowing around, e.g. when power spraying cages

• Higher risk when assisting in necropsy, e.g. when fungal spores from an aspergillosis lesion might blow around in the room

• Wear an N95 mask when power spraying cages and assisting in necropsy.

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• Ensure the mask is fitted properly. Ask a staff member for help if needed. Direct Contact

• Wear gloves when washing or handling fish to avoid “fish finger,” a potentially serious infection.

• Wear gloves when handling birds with open wounds. (This also protects the birds from the bacteria we have on our hands!)

Injection

• Use care to avoid sticking yourself when drawing blood from a bird, handling a hematocrit tube, and giving injections to birds.

• Dispose of used needles promptly in medical sharps containers. SPECIAL MENTION: HANDWASHING All of us learned to wash our hands when we were children, but many of us don’t wash our hands with the correct technique or frequency. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), proper handwashing technique includes rubbing the hands vigorously with soap and running water for 20 seconds. In particular, pay attention to the crevices between the fingers and under the fingernails.

• Wash your hands with soap and running water for 20 seconds. • Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is not as effective as washing with soap and water.

Additionally, alcohol-based hand sanitizer may leave a residue that could get on a bird’s feathers and damage its waterproofing. Do not use alcohol-based hand sanitizers at International Bird Rescue.

• Wash your hands after using the bathroom, cleaning a cage or other surface where feces may be present, cleaning food dishes or utensils, blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing.

• Wash your hands before eating, drinking, smoking or going home.

SPECIFIC ZOONOTIC CONCERNS: It is impractical to discuss here all of the potentially zoonotic diseases that are possible in wild birds. Instead, this section covers some of the ones we are most likely to see at International Bird Rescue. Additionally, it includes diseases we’re often asked about that do not pose a realistic risk of transmission to people.

• This document contains general guidelines only. If you have questions about your zoonotic disease risk in working with wild birds, please consult your physician.

• If your physician believes you have contracted a zoonotic disease at International Bird Rescue, please consider sharing that medical information with the Center Manager or the Clinical Veterinarian so we can review our safety practices.

ASPERGILLOSIS Aspergillus fumigatus is a common bread mold fungus, and it’s common in the environment. Many species of pelagic birds (birds that normally live on the ocean) are very susceptible to getting aspergillosis growth in their respiratory tracts. This frequently kills birds or causes them to be so debilitated that we must euthanize them.

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Aspergillosis is also an infection that occurs in people, primarily people who are immunosuppressed or have preexisting respiratory disease such as cystic fibrosis. All of us breathe in small numbers of Aspergillus spores regularly with minimal risk; the risk of infection rises when we breathe in a large numbers of spores at one time. When we perform necropsies (post-mortem exams) on birds with aspergillosis, we probably release spores into the immediate environment. For this reason, we wear N95 masks to minimize our risk of inhaling spores.

• Prevention measure: N95 mask when assisting with necropsies FEATHER LICE Feather lice (and, in pelicans, pouch lice) are common on wild birds, and sometimes debilitated birds are infested with large numbers of them. Fortunately, all lice have specific requirements and cannot survive off their normal host. This means that we can’t catch dog lice from our pet dogs and we can’t catch bird lice from our wild birds! Even though feather lice cannot live on us, they may crawl around for several hours before falling off. Many of us don’t like the sensation of bugs on our skin, and we also don’t want to pass the lice to other birds. One or two feather lice can be easily removed manually. If you have several feather lice on you, changing your clothes will remove most of them. A quick shower will also help remove them.

• Prevention measure: Change clothes, shower BOTULISM We occasionally treat groups of birds with botulism. This disease occurs in warm months, when the botulism bacteria breed in warm bodies of water. Those bacteria make a toxin that accumulates in fish and invertebrates. When ducks or pelicans or other birds eat such toxin-filled prey, their muscles become very weak. Even though birds with severe botulism can be completely paralyzed, they often survive and return to normal if they’re brought to us soon enough. It is incredibly unlikely that any of us could contract botulism from our normal work with sick birds. We would have to ingest a relatively large amount of the bird’s droppings to accumulate enough toxin to cause weakness. Botulism could also affect us if bird feces got into a puncture wound. Neither of these scenarios are likely if we follow our normal hygiene and preventative measures.

• Prevention measure: Gloves to clean cages, gloves and surgical mask to shake out laundry, normal handwashing procedures

• Additional measure: If you have a puncture wound, keep it clean, dry and covered. PSITTACOSIS Psittacosis (or ornithosis or parrot fever) is a bacterial disease caused by Chlamydophila psittici. It is relatively common in small pet parrots, and it is also shed regularly by many species of waterfowl. All species of birds are considered susceptible. Human cases aren’t common, but they are most likely in people who work closely with birds.

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Psittacosis can be transmitted to people who inhale dust from dried droppings from infected birds. Symptoms in people are flu-like and can include fever, chills, headache, cough and pneumonia.

• Prevention measure: Gloves, handwashing, and surgical masks as for botulism; N95 mask when power washing cages to avoid aerosolized bacteria

METHICILLIN-RESISTANT STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS (MRSA) In recent years, MRSA has become increasingly common. Many people carry MRSA in their respiratory tract with no problems. MRSA exists when the common bacterium Staphylococcus aureus develops a resistance to commonly-used antibiotics. It is usually treatable, but the infection may require expensive antibiotics to treat. The best defense against MRSA is to assume that an open wound or abscess may contain it. Always wear gloves when handling birds with wounds, and wash your hands when you’ve completed the task. Unlike most of the other zoonotic diseases discussed here, MRSA can be a reverse zoonosis. That means that birds can contract it from us! Since many of us don’t know whether or not we’re MRSA carriers, we have another reason to wear gloves when handling birds with wounds: we don’t want them to become infected with the MRSA we could be carrying.

• Prevention measure: Gloves and handwashing

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ADDITIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY INFORMATION

CARE WITHIN THE CENTER: Instructions for feeding and cleaning cages are in the Volunteer Binder in the foyer by the clinic (SFBay Center) or in the break room (LA Center). Please refer to these instructions if you have questions. If you’d like, we can print you a copy to take with you during your shift. If you see a bird that you think may be behaving abnormally, please contact a staff person or other volunteer immediately! Remember, you are the voice of the birds in our care.

GRUNT WORK: No matter what shortcuts we try to take, there is no getting around it – we have to clean, clean, clean, and feed, feed, feed. Either one of these chores could easily be a full-time job. Every day, everyone needs to be fed, and almost everything has to be cleaned. It may be a duck pool, a pelican enclosure, a warm water pool, or heron aviary. More than likely, it’s all of the above. If you keep in mind who your charges are and what incredible creatures they are, the work goes pleasantly enough. While we encourage teamwork, it is important to stay quiet while cleaning cages. Keep your voice down and your movements steady. It is always a good idea to avoid direct eye contact as well. Direct eye contact is often interpreted as a threat, a condition best avoided. If, when you enter an enclosure or open a cage door, the occupant comes straight at you, the best defense is to freeze at the spot, keeping your eyes lowered. It is not unusual for a bird to use your head as a launching pad in attempting to escape. They will more likely leap over you than attack you. Still, it is best to be familiar with species’ behavior and individual behavior in order to anticipate their actions. To guard against the transmission of zoonotic diseases, wash your hands frequently. Gloves and dust masks are available for use during cleaning.

CLEANING SOLUTIONS: **NOTE: Most of our cleaning solutions are NOT used full strength – we use a dilution of 1:20 product:tap

water to clean and disinfect. • Dermasoap – used to wash hands • Dawn dishwashing detergent – used to wash

dishes, syringes, and oiled patients. • Simple Green – used to wash cages, counters,

and heavy equipment • Chlorine bleach – used to disinfect wood

enclosures • Dilute Chlorhexiderm Solution – used to

disinfect plastic and metal enclosures. • Germicidal Solution – used to disinfect surgical

tools; must be well rinsed before use

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NEWSPAPERS - We use newspapers to line the bottoms of some of our cages. These should be changed at least once every day, more often if the patient is very messy. When laying papers, be sure the cage floor is dry, and keep them about 4 layers thick and cover all exposed surfaces. When removing them, be sure to make as little noise as possible. (If you are bringing newspapers to the Center, please sort them first and remove any flyers or junk mail.)

LAUNDRY: We go through A LOT of laundry!!

Soiled laundry is shaken over a trashcan before it is put into the dirty laundry bin or washing machine. There is a large trashcan just inside the laundry room for this.

Wear a surgical mask when shaking laundry to prevent any particulate material from landing in your mouth or nose.

We use cold water to wash and rinse all of our laundry.

Machines need to be wiped down often.

Clean the lint screen under the dryers at least once a day! A build-up of lint is a fire hazard.

Clean, dry, folded sheets, towels, and cage covers should be distributed to the shelves in ICU, the clinic, and Holding One and Holding Two (in the SFBay Center) or the back room (in the LA Center), in order of need.

FLOORS: For the health and safety of animals and people, the floors are washed as often as necessary. During the busy season, or during an oil spill, this may mean 3 or 4 times a day! Wash floors only after the cages have been cleaned out and traffic has left the room, or you’ll end up doing it over again. Floors should be hosed down and then swept. Debris left over the drains should be picked up with a dustbin and put in a garbage bin. **The kitchen/food prep area in the SFBay Center has no drain – please do not hose the kitchen floor unless you have a squeegee in hand and a plan!** The kitchen floor must be mopped every day.

MICE: Although we recognize that mice are creatures, too, we cannot have them running in the center, and our center has a lot to offer them. Please be sure that aviaries are hosed down every day very well, food bins are always tightly sealed, and no food is left standing outside of a cage or the refrigerator for more than five minutes.

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SUMMARY: There is no such thing as a guarantee that you will never be injured or sick as a direct result of volunteering at International Bird Rescue. Your best defense is a good offense. The importance of CLEANLINESS cannot be stressed enough. Remember to use gloves when cleaning, wash your hands frequently, and use Simple Green (green solution) to clean surfaces such as countertops, exam tables, and cages. Check your clothing before having refreshments in the break room. If you were in the clinic, you may have feces, feathers, or blood on your skin or clothes. Our seasoned volunteers wear “duds” to work. You won’t find any fashion statements at the rehab center, with the possible exception of the “Grunge” look, or “fashion don’ts”. We wear old jeans, sweats, shorts, and our Bird Rescue T-shirts.

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PART IV

Orientation to Working With Aquatic Birds

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BIRDS: IDENTIFICATION: It is vital that rehabilitators are able to identify those species that they encounter. Since the majority of our patients are birds, you may find it useful to keep a bird book close at hand. Good field guides are available to most bookstores and nature shops, and a copy of The Sibley Guide to Birds is kept in the clinic. The majority of our new volunteers are not confident in species identification. However, it is a very worthwhile endeavor regardless of your role at International Bird Rescue. The following is a list of individual species or categories of species with which you should become familiar. The most common species are identified with an asterisk.

Mallard* Teal

Wigeon Shoveler

Loons Herons*

Gadwall*

Goldeneye Canada Goose*

Merganser Sandpiper

Gull* Pintail*

Ruddy Duck

Swan Grebes* Killdeer Avocet

Stilt Rail

Cormorant*

Common Murre* Brown Pelican*

Kingfisher Osprey

Surf Scoter* Scaup* Coot

Physiology: Skin:

• thin • loosely attached • dry and inelastic

Feathers: • waterproof • ~10% of body weight • not capable of growth once fully

formed • purpose is flight, insulation, display,

nesting • different types • blood feathers

Skeleton: • muscle attachment • mineral metabolism • protection for internal organs • pneumatic bones • wing structure

Musculature: • egg laying • digestion • eye movement • circulation • breathing • flight • breast muscles comprise 20% of body

weight Respiratory System: • no diaphragm • air sac system (see appendix) • if held upside down or on back for

more than a brief period of time, weight of internal organs and chest muscles can cause suffocation

Digestion: • crop (some species) • basic internal anatomy (see appendix) • preventing aspiration/tubing • evaluation of droppings–sight, smell,

texture

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BEHAVIORAL AND ECOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS: As you work with birds, you will discover the tremendous variation in behavior and biological needs according to species ecology. Within species, individual personalities will vary as well. Most of our local species can be categorized according to their tendency to feel stressed in captivity .When capturing them in the field, cleaning their cages at the center, or working with them closely, it is helpful to anticipate and be sensitive to their possible level of stress. For example, such species as pelicans, gulls, and Canada Geese may be quite tolerant of humans, while loons, grebes, and kingfishers tend to be very high strung. It is also helpful to be able to anticipate how they will react in a given situation. The following points are just a few examples of specific ecological considerations and behavioral adaptations that may be important in handling, feeding, or determining condition:

• Waterfowl can be divided into dabblers and divers. The latter have legs and feet well back on their bodies to make them more streamlined underwater. This also causes poor coordination on land. The primary defense mechanism of waterfowl is the powerful propulsion of their wings. Geese, swans, and ducks may come at you with wings outstretched and literally strike you. Do not underestimate the power of those wings! A well-placed blow may knock you down. They may also bite.

• Birds with long, spear-like beaks such as loons, grebes, herons, bitterns and egrets, have a tendency to stab captors in the facial area, and may aim for the eyes.

• Game birds such as pheasants or quail (and many coots) will freeze if threatened,

and then explode in a frenzied attempt to escape. Be prepared for this. BEAK SHAPE: You can determine much about a bird’s eating habits by examining the bill shape or foot shape. Fish Spearer Water Strainer Fish Grasper Mud Prober THE FIVE SENSES: For most species of birds, sight is the keenest sense, and hearing a close second. Because birds are visually oriented, it determines or influences much of their behavior. Knowing this fact can be to your advantage; when working with them at the center, they usually become alarmed as soon as they can see you. An old wives tale warns not to touch baby birds for fear of leaving human scent on them and causing the parents to abandon them. THIS IS COMPLETELY FALSE! First of all, most birds have a very poor sense of smell and would not even detect human smell. Secondly, birds are such devoted parents, they would not abandon babies simply because of a bit of odor, even if they could smell.

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BABY BIRDS AND DUCKLINGS: If you find a baby bird or baby duckling, don’t immediately capture it and rush it here! Often well-meaning people will do just that and inadvertently “kidnap” an entire brood of young birds. Unless you’ve seen the parent hit by a car, attacked by a dog or cat, or some other tragedy, stay back and keep an eye on the birds for a few hours – chances are good that the parent has either gone for food, or is hovering nearby waiting for you, the predator, to leave the area. If no parent shows themselves, then try to catch the babies and bring them to the nearest center. Transporting very young birds is quite simple, but if done incorrectly, it can result in dead ducklings very quickly. Follow a few basic steps to ensure their safety:

• Do not place grass, straw, or any other non-absorbent material in the bottom of the box. Your best option is a clean towel, clean rags, or a thick paper towel.

• Keep the box dry – NO WATER DISHES in the box during transport - and do not try to feed them!

• Keep ducklings or very young birds warm! They would normally be kept warm by their mother’s body, which provides an ambient temperature around 100°F. For really small ducklings or trips longer than a half-hour, they will need supplemental heating such as a hot water bottle or heat pack. You can easily improvise supplemental heat by filling a rubber glove with hot water, tying the open end in a knot, and wrapping it with a towel or cloth. Be careful the glove will heat the animal without crushing it.

***A wet duckling/baby bird = a cold duckling/baby bird = a dead duckling/baby bird***

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This manual contains A LOT of information for you to digest! Please read it and reference it often. As we have told you in the volunteer orientation, training, interview, and almost every time we speak to you, the volume of work we do could not be done without the commitment and expertise of people like you. You DO make a difference in the world, and the donation of your time here is critical to this wildlife. If you ever have any questions or problems about ANYTHING during your time here, please talk to any staff member or the volunteer coordinator. We are committed to providing you the best possible volunteer experience. Thank you for choosing to volunteer your time, knowledge, and experience to International Bird Rescue!

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INTERNATIONAL BIRD RESCUE MANUAL TEST (Bring completed on your next visit) Name: Date:

1. What is the most important thing you can do to prevent the spread of disease?

2. Is it acceptable behavior to talk to or pet the animals in the rehabilitation center?

Yes No

3. Is it legal in the state of California for you to keep wildlife in your possession without a state permit? Yes No

4. When talking to a visitor, is it ok to say “I don’t know” if asked a question? Yes No

5. Is it ok for family and friends to accompany you on your scheduled shift? Yes No

6. Is it okay to not show up for your shift? Yes No

7. Who owns the facility?

8. What are three reasons that a volunteer may be dismissed?

9. Volunteers are required to attend one approved class a year. Who approves these classes?

10. When and why was International Bird Rescue founded?

11. As a volunteer, what will the bulk of your work be?