Local

Distressed, dying birds showing up on shoreline in Mayport

Residents of Mayport are concerned about dead pelicans along the waterway off State Road A1A.

Action News Jax spoke with Cindy Mosling, the founder of Bird Emergency Aid & Kare Sanctuary, or B.E.A.K.S, who said she's taken in at least 20 diving birds such as pelicans and ospreys in the past few weeks, and they all have the same problem. The birds are wet and can't dry off properly.

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“They’ve lost their protective coating, which is like a wax that the body makes. Something’s removed that, something soapy. We don’t know what,” Mosling said.

Mosling said whatever the cause, the birds are getting hypothermia and dying.

"They can't float and they can't hunt," Mosling said.

Mosling said she's not sure what's causing the birds to lose their protective coat, but she said that the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is analyzing their feathers to find out.