An oil slick off the coast of Santa Barbara and Ventura has brought 96 oiled Western grebes to the International Bird Rescue center in San Pedro for treatment.

Bird Rescue officials outlined the situation on Thursday, Nov. 6, during a media briefing at its center in San Pedro’s Angels Gate Park.

The influx of oiled seabirds began arriving after the discovery of an approximately 1 square-mile oil slick off the Santa Barbara coast. Since Monday, Nov. 3, Western grebes — long-necked diving birds that spend most of their lives on the water — have been receiving critical care, with their initial stabilization taking place at the Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network.

After that, they were transferred to Bird Rescue’s Southern California Wildlife Center in San Pedro.

Additional birds could sti

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