Southern California rescue agency overwhelmed by ‘unusual surge’ of sick, dying seagulls 

A local wildlife rescue agency is being inundated with sick and dying seagulls.

International Bird Rescue, a nonprofit located in San Pedro, posted on social media that experts there are treating an “unusual surge” of sick and dying Western Gulls found along the SoCal coast “from Venice and Malibu to Redondo Beach and the South Bay.”

More than a dozen sick gulls have been received at International Bird Rescue since July 25, and at least three of them tested negative for bird flu. Test results for other birds that have arrived more recently are still pending.

“Affected gulls are arriving with symptoms that include dehydration, difficulty standing, partial or complete paralysis, confusion, difficulty blinking, and, in the most severe cases, respiratory distress,” International Bird Rescue