More than two dozen marine mammals and nearly 40 birds, most of them pelicans, have been collected dead and alive from along California's oil-fouled coastline near Santa Barbara in the week since a petroleum pipeline ruptured there.

Of 38 oil-coated birds documented so far, 13 turned up dead and 25 were picked up alive, though two of the rescued birds have since died, said Dr Michael Ziccardi, a veterinarian from the University of California, Davis, who heads the Oiled Wildlife Care Network.

The surviving birds, primarily brown pelicans, were all being taken to a wildlife care facility in Los Angeles to be cleaned up, nursed back to health and hopefully released again to the wild.

Among marine mammals counted as apparent oil spill victims, 12 California sea lions and six northern elephant seals were recovered alive, but two of the captured sea lions later died. Five more sea lions were found dead, along with carcasses of three common dolphins, Mr Ziccardi said.