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Oil and SeabirdsClick here for recent oil spill information. Oil pollution is a great threat to marine birds, particularly for those that spend a lot of time on the surface of the water such as loons, alcids (puffins, murres, razorbills, etc.), and waterfowl.
On April 27, 2003, the Bouchard B 120 spilled an estimated 98,000 gallons of oil in Buzzards Bay, MA. For updates and information on this spill, go to the Buzzards Bay Project website.
Chronic oil pollution can be even more insidious, and in some areas, are likely to kill more seabirds than single large scale spills. Oil and contaminants from illegal dumping of bilge wastes continue to pose an enormous threat to seabirds. For example, in Newfoundland, regular beached bird surveys have resulted in estimates of chronic oiling mortality at at least 300,000 birds each year.  In Canada, Bill C-15 recently passed, and went into force June 28, 2005. This piece of legislation seeks to impose strict fines for illegal dumping, and increases funding for surveillance and enforcement. Click here for the latest news on this legislation. For a comprehensive report on chronic oil pollution and its effects on seabirds in Atlantic Canada see WWF Canada's 2003 Report The US Fish and Wildlife Service's manual for care of birds at oil spills, which has been available in draft form for some time, was signed off on as Service guidance on April 27, 2004. This document also contains an appendix describing zoonoses (diseases transmittable to humans from wildlife), precautionary measures to be taken when handling injured or dead birds, and other helpful information. |
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Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine |
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Large scale oil spills are the most obvious threat, often killing hundreds to thousands of birds. The effects of such spills can linger for a long time after the spill, and such events make beached bird surveys even more vital - both for the pre-spill baseline data on 'background' levels of seabird mortality, and to monitor beaches long after the oil has been cleaned up.