Scientists scramble to steer migrating birds away from Gulf oil spill

By PATRICK REIS AND ALLISON WINTER of Greenwire
Published: July 2, 2010 Scientists are working to lure migrating birds away from the oil in the Gulf of Mexico and toward safe habitat. At stake is the well-being of more than 50 million birds migrating south to or through the Gulf over the next six months, with the first wave expected in the next few weeks. The Gulf is a rest stop for species that breed in the Arctic and northern Canada and winter in Latin America or the Caribbean, and it’s a destination for waterfowl and some shorebirds. “The impact of the Gulf disaster on migrating birds will be like a train derailment during rush hour,” said Frank Gill, president of the National Audubon Society. “Not only will it affect the entire system, but its repercussions will be long-lasting.” The best hope for drawing birds away from the oiled area, federal biologists say, is to make other habitats more hospitable. Birds that find abundant food and wetlands farther from the oily stretches may linger there longer, said Paul Schmidt, assistant director for migratory birds at the Fish and Wildlife Service. So Fish and Wildlife and the Agriculture Department are launching efforts to provide more wetland habitat for migrating birds on public and private lands. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service on Monday launched a $20 million program to pay landowners to idle land, restore wetlands and enhance habitat. The agency hopes to affect up to 150,000 acres in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas. The money will come from existing conservation programs that pay landowners to improve environmental practices on farms. Conservation Service Chief Dave White said his agency hopes to be later reimbursed by the company responsible for the spill, BP PLC, but is using existing federal funds to get the program up and running as quickly as possible. The agency is trying to enroll farmers this month so that early migrators will have a place to go, White said. … But the investment in habitat doesn’t guarantee success, biologists say. “I don’t want to mislead you to think that, with these techniques, we can cause major changes in migration. Our success will be measured in local effects,” Schmidt said. “We can hopefully get them to stay in clean areas a little longer and reduce their exposure to the oil. We won’t be able to affect millions of birds.” The service may also place noisemakers and reflective tape near some oil patches in an effort to keep birds out, Schmidt said. But those efforts are labor-intensive and of questionable effectiveness. The spill, he said, is simply too large. “It’s not one concentrated area; it’s literally thousands of miles of coast that need to be dealt with,” he said. …

Scientists Scramble to Steer Migrating Birds Away From Gulf Oil Spill