International Bird Rescue executive director Jay Holcomb, an icon in the world of wildlife rehabilitation and a relentless pioneer in the field of oiled wildlife care since the 1970s, has died. He was 63. All of us at Audubon California had a great deal of respect and gratitude for the work Holcomb led on behalf of birds -- he will be sorely missed. Thankfully, the great work of International Bird Rescue will continue.

Holcomb passed away in Modesto, Calif. on June 10, 2014, surrounded by friends and family members. The cause of death was kidney cancer, according to Holcomb’s family. Under his direction, International Bird Rescue grew into one of the world’s preeminent wildlife organizations, caring for animals affected by large-scale oil spills such as Exxon Valdez in 1989 and the Gulf Spill in 2010, where Holcomb and his team cared for pelicans, gannets and other birds harmed by the environmental disaster. Read more at the International Bird Rescue website ...