Considerations in care for birds affected by oil spills

Abstract

Oil spills occur on a worldwide basis from a variety of sources, including tanker ruptures, pipeline breaks, and oil well explosions. In addition to these large-scale events, a smaller number of birds are affected on a daily basis from both petroleum and vegetable oil sources. The external effects of oil on wildlife include feather contamination resulting in loss of insulation, loss of buoyancy in water, and loss of flight ability, as well as skin and ocular burns of varying severity. Internal effects result from inhalation and ingestion of toxic components that lead to pneumonia, gastrointestinal disturbances, hemolytic anemia, immune suppression, and organopathy. The rehabilitation of oiled wildlife involves field stabilization, correction of underlying physiological abnormalities before washing, proper washing and rinsing of all contaminants, and assessment of set criteria before release. All wildlife care during an oil spill response is conducted in cooperation with state and federal trustee agencies and includes the collection of appropriate samples for legal documentation of affected individuals.