Information on Bird Impacts from the
Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

View NEW ABC Gulf Spill Report click here

Two senior ABC staffers have just returned from a week-long trip to the Gulf to observe the oil spill, its effect of birds, and the ongoing cleanup effort, from the western shores of Louisiana through Mississippi to Dauphin Island, Alabama. They have documented their observations and conclusions in a new report, which also contains a series of recommendations for birds – ranging from the use of boom to habitat restoration.

“Restoration needs to start as soon as major coastal oiling has been effectively addressed. The Gulf doesn’t have the decades it took to resolve the legal wrangling that followed the Exxon Valdez spill. The hydrology of the Mississippi Delta and the surrounding area is already facing dire threats from climate-change, erosion, and hurricanes. Let’s not repeat the same mistakes as we made in Alaska twenty years ago,” said ABC Vice President and report author Mike Parr.

Hear Mike Parr's interview on Pacifica Radio brodcast on KPFK Los Angeles (Scroll down to the Show "Uprising" for July 21).

What is the Likely Impact on Birds?

The concern for birds are three-fold.

• The first is the immediate threat to individual birds from oil contamination. The first oiled birds are now being collected and sent to rehabilitators in the region. Many birds could be killed but never collected, particularly 'plunge-diving' birds such as pelicans, gannets and terns.
   
• The second is from reduced food availability due to contamination of seafood stocks. Many of these are the same stocks that are the foundation of much of the regional coastal economy.
   
• The third concern is from oil impacts to bird habitat. There are a number of Globally Important Bird Areas directly in the path of the advancing spill that are under immediate threat.The long-term effects on birds will be decreased breeding success as nests fail due to contamination of eggs that come into contact with oil and due to birds being forced from contaminated areas to marginal breeding sites or sites that are already at maximum capacity.

What are the Latest Developments

See the Deepwater Horizon/BP Daily Oil Impact Assessment Map. Last updated June 17, 2010

ABC Warns that Oiled Birds Found Onshore May Be a Fraction of the Total Toll on Birds From Gulf Spill

ABC Releases List of Critical Sites Most at Risk from Gulf Oil Spill, Demands Re-Assessment of Ecological Impacts of U.S. Energy Policy.

What is ABC doing?

Providing recommendations: Based on first-hand observations by ABC staff in the Gulf, ABC has provided recommendations in a report titled Gulf Oil Spill: Field Survey Report and Recommendations. The report focuses on five key recommendations for birds – ranging from the use of boom to habitat restoration – related to cleanup efforts surrounding the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill.

An information hub: ABC is currently playing an important role in educating the media and the public on the possible impacts to hundreds of species of birds and their habitats in the Gulf Coast region as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion.  We are fortunate to have on staff many leading authorities in a diverse range of specialties related to the avian impacts of the spill, including toxicologists, seabird experts, avian habitat management specialists, and conservation policy professionals.

Response task force: ABC is a member of a small task force in Washington, D.C. that is comprised of a select number of national conservation organizations and representatives of the Department of Defense, Department of Interior, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  This taskforce gives and receives real-time information on the coordinated response activities that are occurring on the ground in the Gulf States, and helps steer available resources to areas the data show to be of high value, such as those where threatened or endangered species are known to be present, or where a high number of breeding/staging birds occur at different times of the year.

Addressing Immediate Needs: ABC is part of many coalitions that can help influence policy decisions, particularly in regards to funding needs. ABC has signed on to three letters - one to the President, one to Congress, and one to the Senate - requesting additional resources be made available to help assess damage caused by the spill. Without sufficient baseline studies now, it will be much harder to measure the damage later.

Long-term policy assessment: ABC plays a key role in ensuring that government policies, laws, and regulations are structured and enforced to best protect birds and their habitats. Over coming months, ABC will be carefully evaluating the causes behind the spill and its effects to see how policies may best be put in place to ensure the fullest remediation of the spill’s impacts, and to prevent other disasters occurring in the future. ABC will also be monitoring the fallout of the spill on policies relating to other forms of energy generation to ensure that there is no rush to pass energy policies for coal, wind, hydro, or solar in place of oil that negatively impact birds. ABC advocates for a balanced, rational U.S. energy plan that takes into account all affects on birds and their habitats, and works to inform regulators and lawmakers of avian issues resulting from energy policy.

What Can I do?

ABC is fortunate to have many members and followers, such as you, who have inquired about ways in which they can help.  For those who wish to volunteer as part of the on-site efforts, we have provided a list of contact numbers as follows:

• To report oil on land, or for general community and volunteer information, please phone the BP response hotline on 866 448-5816.
   
• To report oiled or injured wildlife, please phone 866 557-1401.
   
• Volunteer opportunities exist in the Gulf Coast states and are being coordinated as follows: Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama
   
• Fishermen wishing to offer assistance in cleaning up the oil spill should phone the Vessel of Opportunities Program at 281 366-5511. Shrimp boats, oyster boats, and other vessels are being hired to deploy booms.

Can I Donate to Help Birds?

Yes you can! The funding for the cleanup costs and for remediation of habitat will come from BP, and ABC will be paying close attention to make sure they fulfill their obligations. However, if you would like to donate to support ABC's efforts to reduce the long-term impacts to birds from threats ranging from oil, wind, and coal; collisions with buildings and towers; free-roaming cats; and pesticides and other toxins, you can do so here.

ABC works to:

• Ensure that U.S. energy policy - from oil exploration to coal to wind - does not adversely impact birds and their habitats.
   
• Protect seabirds and their habitats throughout the Americas.
    
• Protect all birds and their habitats from the risks associated with toxic chemicals, ranging from pesticides to oil to heavy metals.
    
• Influence the way federal government agencies manage land and bird habitats.