Individuals and groups who are opposed to further development and building of oil rigs in the Arctic have yet another reason for concern: it seems that the oil rigs that are going up in the Arctic are helping various predators prey on the nesting birds in the area. The big oil rigs are providing the prey with housing that allows them to prey easier on the birds.

A new study by the Wildlife Conservation Society, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says that the preying birds and animals are building nests and dens in and around the oil rig infrastructure. They are also supplementing their diet with garbage from the rigs. But of more concern is the fact that they are feeding on the nesting birds in the area.

Some of the prey that is taking advantage of what the oil rigs have to offer are the Arctic fox, seagulls and ravens, which all like to feed on nesting birds. Drilling platforms, rod culverts and other aspect of oil infrastructure are providing the perfect places for these prey to nest and den.

Joe Liebezeit, who is with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and also the lead author of the study said, “This is the first study specifically designed to evaluate the so called ‘oil footprint’ effect in the Arctic on nesting birds. The study was also unique in that it was a collaborative effort among conservation groups, industry, and federal scientists.” 

The authors of the study monitored almost 2,000 nests for a four year period. The nests belonged to passerine and shorebird species. During their research, they found that the Lapland longspur had a significantly higher number of lost nests closer to oil development when compared to their nesting grounds further away. In fact, nest that were further than 5 km away from oil development were untouched by predators.
The full study is published in the September issue of the Ecological Applications.