By Marissa Calligeros
The last of the birds affected by Queensland's disastrous oil spill in early March have been given a clean bill of health and will be returned to the wild this week.
Hundreds of sea birds came to grief after the cyclone-battered cargo ship Pacific Adventurer spewed 270,000 litres of oil in waters off Stradbroke Island.
A wildlife ranger holds one of the pelicans which became victims of the Pacific Adventurer oil spill at Moreton Island in early March.
Thirteen pelicans, blackened in the oil slick, had to be taken into care at the State Government's David Fleay Wildlife Park on the Gold Coast, where they have been waiting to return to Moreton Bay since.
"The birds are clean, fit and healthy and will be released back to Moreton Island later this week," Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones said.
"Rangers from the Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) and Queensland Wader Study Group volunteers observed more than 20,000 birds around the oiled beaches but only about 100 were found to have had contact with oil," Ms Jones said.
Wildlife rangers with Sea World, RSPCA, Taronga Zoo and Australia Zoo assisted in the massive clean-up.
"The majority of those had minor oiling on their legs and feet and only required short term attention, but those that were heavily oiled were taken into care," Ms Jones said.
Moreton Island's beaches were declared "clean" last week allowing the pelican's return.
"DERM wildlife carers initially cared for the birds at a Lytton facility set up specifically to cater for oiled birds," Ms Jones said.
"At Lytton, the birds were stabilised, hydrated with fluids, fed fish and specially washed."
Before their release, each pelican will be fitted with a small metal tracking band to allow DERM to monitor their return to the wild.
One sacred kingfisher, a lesser crested tern and two silver gulls and a sea snake were among the animals in need of specialised treatment following the oil spill.
Although the pelicans will return to the island this week, the wetlands at Spitfire and Eagers Creek on are still oiled and will remain fenced off as the clean-up on the island continues.
Maritime Safety Queensland is expected to maintain a monitoring workforce of 20 people on Moreton Island.