Strange 'tar balls' wash up on American beaches - and are linked to spate of deaths in animals

A suspected oil spill has caused blobs of tar and oil-coated birds to wash up on US beaches. 

The pieces of tar are roughly the size of a sand dollar, measuring two to four inches in diameter, and are baffling officials as they rush to find the source.

Hundreds of them have been found less than a week after local officials received reports of oiled birds found along a 150-mile stretch from Long Beach, Washington, to Lincoln City, Oregon.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) confirmed on Sunday that the tar is 'petroleum-based,' indicating that the substance came from an unknown oil spill. 

The agency received 10 reports of oil-coated birds but recovered four - two were found dead and one later had to be euthanized. 

The pieces of tar (pictured) are roughly the size of a sand dollar, measuring two to four inches in diameter, are hard on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. Local officials have warned that the public should not touch the tar and instead should report it to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

The US Coast Guard has searched for the source of the oil off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, but they have been unable to officially locate the source. 

Beachgoers first found the tar blobs at Cannon Beach last week which are typically formed when the wind and waves from the sea stretch and break apart oil from a larger spill into smaller pieces.

The tar is hard and crusty on the outside but soft and gooey on the inside - much like a toasted marshmallow.

But they can be hazardous for anyone who comes in contact with them. 

Both Washington and Oregon state agencies are conducting beach surveys and shoreline assessments as well as flights over the Pacific as they search for evidence of an oil spill or oil wildfire.

Officials sent samples of the tar to a lab for analysis and some images show evidence of an oil sheen off the coast of Cannon Beach.

There are no oil rigs or cargo located in the Oregon region - all sources of crude oil in the state is shipped from outside sources.

'The latest thing we've seen right now is a sheen that's about 1.5 miles in length near Haystack Rock,' Kevin Chan, emergency response coordinator for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality told KGW8 News.

About four common murres (pictured) were found coated in oil on the beaches in Washington and Oregon. Two of the birds had died when they were recovered and one had to be euthanized after responders analyzed its injuries

Tar can mat and separate the bird's feathers, making it difficult to fly and removes the protective coating against water which helps the birds stay buoyant. Pictured: A common murre that was rescued and taken to a rehabilitation center in Oregon

All of the birds found coated in oil were common murres which stay close to land when they aren't breeding but travel up to 20 miles offshore when they are.

Breeding season hasn't yet started for the murres, two of which died shortly after they were rescued.

Oil can cause the bird's feathers to mat, separate and lose their protection against water, making it difficult for them to fly or stay buoyant in water and it can make them severely ill if ingested.

'The main thing we're seeing (is) all of our birds are coming in emaciated,' Jolene Magee, who works as a rehabilitation technician for Wildlife Center of the North Coast told KGW8.

'They're preening so they're consuming the oil that's on their feathers,' she continued.

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'It's kind of a balancing act between getting them to feel better but acting quickly enough to where they're not consuming too much of the oil.'

The US Coast Guard reported that four murres were recovered, including two that had already died and one had to be euthanized after evaluating its injuries. 

Local officials have warned the public not to approach the birds if they spot one but instead report them to 1-800-22-BIRDS (1-800-22-2477).

'Birds are often very stressed as a result of being oiled,' a WDFW spokesperson told KGW8. 'This is part of the reason we ask the public not to attempt to capture oiled wildlife, as it may increase the stressors on the animal.' 

The ODFW asked the public to 'please leave cleanup to professional responders who are trained and equipped to handle this type of material,' but if they do touch the substance, it's important to wash yourself with soap or dish detergent and water immediately. 

DailyMail.com has reached out to local wildlife agencies for comment.