NEW ORLEANS -- The number of birds being treated for oil from the Gulf of Mexico spill is rising. But, as with sea turtles and dolphins, the vast majority of dead birds found so far don't show any oil.
As of noon Saturday, 62 oiled birds and three oiled sea turtles had been rescued from the Gulf and in states affected by the oil spill, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported.
It said another 478 dead birds, 224 dead sea turtles and 25 dead marine mammals, such as dolphins, had been found.
At least 90 of the birds did have oil on their feathers or bodies, but at least 338 did not, the report said. The other 116 had not been classified. All but six of those "pending" birds were in Louisiana, where 14 dead, oiled birds had been found and 59 dead birds without oil on their bodies.
The other six were in Mississippi, where one live oiled bird had been rescued, two dead, oiled birds found and 30 dead birds without oil.
The report said some of the birds and animals "have likely died or been injured by natural causes," and that with so many people out looking for animals and effects of the spill, "it is also likely that we will recover more naturally injured or dead fish and wildlife than normal."
Nine oiled birds were rescued in Alabama and six in Florida. Six dead, oiled birds were found in each of those two states. Alabama wildlife teams had found 127 dead birds without oil, and their counterparts in Florida had found 118 dead, non-oiled birds. No birds in those states were unclassified.
Authorities said earlier that one dolphin and one sea turtle had oil on their bodies, and officials didn't know whether it got there before or after death.
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