Oil-covered birds spark oil spill search

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., July 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for a possible oil spill after five brown pelicans were found covered with oil on California beaches, officials said.

The Coast Guard said a seabird rehabilitation worker found the first two birds near Santa Barbara Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Three more birds were discovered at another beach Wednesday, but two of them subsequently died.

Coast Guard personnel searched the area where the birds were found but could find no evidence of a spill. Fly-overs with helicopters from Los Angeles were continuing Thursday, officials said.

The surviving birds have been sent to a seabird specialist to be cleaned of oil, the Coast Guard said.