According to a new study, the threatened species of small, white, dune-dwelling birds known as snowy plovers were especially lucky in surviving the major oil spill by the Cosco Busan in San Francisco Bay in November 2007. After two years of tagging and tracking both oiled and non-oiled snowy plovers, the report found that nearly all the birds survived. In total, approximately 7,000 birds of other species died as a result of the spill, including ducks, cormorants, gulls, and pelicans. In other feel-good, animal-related news, this injured sea lion nicknamed Abignale was rescued near Monterey.