It was a chilly January afternoon, but that didn’t stop a flock of geese and ducks from splashing into the Muddy River in Brookline. It was their first day back home after the river was contaminated by an oil spill.
“I think they’re just happy to be back,” said Dr. Priya Patel, wildlife medical director at New England Wildlife Center. She stood by the river alongside the birds that were flying, preening and honking.
A group of 37 ducks and geese noisily waddled out of crates and into the river on Friday after spending about a month rehabbing from the oil spill.
Upwards of 50 gallons of heating oil contaminated their habitat, according to local Environmental Protection Agency officials. Oil breaks down birds’ natural waterproofing and causes water to saturate their feathers. This impacts their ability to regulate their temperature and to fly.
Staff from the New England Wildlife Center spent five days at the park to capture the affected animals and bring them in for treatment. Seven birds died, and one is still being treated but is expected to fully recover.
“As humans we do so much harm, so much harm, but we also do a heck of a lot of good,” said Katrina Bergman, president of New England Wildlife Center.
The washing process took about an hour per bird, according to Patel, who said they “really use Dawn dish soap!” The birds also received medicine and were fed at least seven times per day, including overnight feedings.
Patel said the birds were cleared to return once they demonstrated proper waterproofing, flying, honking and signs of alertness. She described their return to the river as “amazing.”
“It’s what makes everything worthwhile,” Patel said. “It was a very long month for all of our staff; many of us didn’t take a day off until the last goose was washed.”
Margaret Byrne, regional spill response coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said oil spills can happen anywhere, and each one is different.
“This spill taught me, as a biologist and spill responder, to think about an urban habitat as an oasis, to really think about it differently, because there are so many birds here,” Byrne said.
The source of the spill has not been identified, according to the EPA, though the agency said it does not expect additional spillage into the river at this time.
The river cleanup process was completed before the birds’ return. New England Wildlife Center workers installed an oil barrier in the water, which absorbed the oil and prevented it from flowing downstream.
The Muddy River watershed covers six square miles of Boston and Brookline. It is the most polluted stream that flows into the Charles River.
