A suspected oil spill has caused tar stains and oil-covered birds to appear on US beaches.
The chunks of tar are about the size of a sand dollar and measure two to four inches in diameter, and they are baffling officials who are racing to find the source.
Hundreds of them have been found less than a week after local officials received reports of oil-tainted birds found along a 150-mile stretch from Long Beach, Washington, to Lincoln City, Oregon.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) confirmed Sunday that the tar “is petroleum-based,” indicating the substance came from an unknown oil spill.
The agency received 10 reports of birds covered in oil, but recovered four: two were found dead and one had to be euthanized later.
The tar chunks (pictured) are about the size of a sand dollar, measuring two to four inches in diameter, hard on the outside and soft and sticky on the inside. Local officials have warned that the public should not touch the tar and should instead report it to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The US Coast Guard has searched for the source of the oil off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, but has been unable to officially locate it.
Beachgoers first encountered the tar slicks at Cannon Beach last week, which typically form when wind and ocean waves stretch and break oil from a larger spill into smaller pieces.
The tar is hard and crunchy on the outside but soft and sticky on the inside, much like a toasted marshmallow.
But they can be dangerous to anyone who comes into contact with them.
Both Washington and Oregon state agencies are conducting beach surveys and coastal assessments, as well as flights over the Pacific, looking for evidence of an oil spill or wildfire.
Officials sent tar samples to a lab for analysis and some images show evidence of an oil sheen off the coast of Cannon Beach.
There are no oil rigs or cargoes located in the Oregon region; All of the state’s crude oil sources are shipped from outside sources.
“The last thing we’ve seen now is a glow about 1.5 miles long near Haystack Rock,” said Kevin Chan, emergency response coordinator for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. KGW8 News.
About four common murres (pictured) were found covered in oil on beaches in Washington and Oregon. Two of the birds had died when they were recovered and one had to be euthanized after rescuers analyzed its injuries.
Tar can tangle and separate birds’ feathers, making it difficult for them to fly and removing the protective layer against water that helps birds stay buoyant. Pictured: A common guillemot that was rescued and taken to a rehabilitation center in Oregon.
All of the birds found covered in oil were common guillemots that stay close to land when they are not breeding but travel up to 20 miles offshore when they are.
The breeding season has not yet started for the murres, two of which died shortly after being rescued.
The oil can cause birds’ feathers to become tangled, separated and lose their protection against water, making it difficult for them to fly or stay afloat in the water and can make them seriously ill if ingested.
“The main thing we’re seeing is all of our birds are emaciated,” Jolene Magee, who works as a rehabilitation technician for the North Coast Wildlife Center, told KGW8.
“They are preening and consuming the oil in their feathers,” he continued.
“It’s kind of a balancing act between making them feel better and acting quickly enough so they don’t consume too much oil.”
US Coast Guard reported that four murres were recovered, including two that had already died and one had to be euthanized after assessing its injuries.
Local officials have warned the public not to approach the birds if they see one, but to report them to 1-800-22-BIRDS (1-800-22-2477).
“Birds are often very stressed as a result of pollution,” a WDFW spokesperson said. KGW8. “This is part of the reason we ask the public not to attempt to capture wild animals affected by oil, as it can increase stressors on the animal.”
ODFW asked the public to “leave cleanup to professional first responders who are trained and equipped to handle this type of material,” but if they touch the substance, it is important to wash with soap or dish detergent and water immediately.
DailyMail.com has contacted local wildlife agencies for comment.