coastal states should reduce the likelihood for adverse effects. 

 5.5 BIRDS AMD WILDLIFE 



Approximately 380 species of birds are listed by BLM (1 , p. 359b) as 

 occurring in the Mid Atlantic area. A large majority of these birds occur 

 on a migratory basis, with large waterfowl concentrations being prevalent in 

 spring, winter, and fall in most coastal marsh areas. The estuarine marshes 

 of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia afford the largest areas of coastal habitat 

 for birds, with the Chesapeake Bay playing the major role. 



In the Southern Atlantic region, the vast sounds of North Carolina, pro- 

 tected by the Outer Banks, afford vast acreages of habitat for waterfowl pop- 

 ulations. The number of species listed as occurring further south, such as 

 Florida, are over 400, but the size of waterfowl populations are much smaller 

 in the southern portion of the study area. 



Figure 12 illustrates many important breeding and refuge areas in the 

 Mid Atlantic area (l,p.363). 



Birds, and wildlife populations, in the Mid Atlantic or South Atlantic 

 coastal regions could be affected by OCS-related activities in the forms of 

 oil spills, loss of food resources, loss of habitat, general disturbance, in- 

 creased hunting pressures, and chronic hydrocarbon intake from oil discharges. 



Oil spills are a considerable potential threat to bird populations. When 

 the inner feathers of birds are coated with petroleum, the insulating proper- 

 ties of the feathers are lost, and a bird can literally freeze to death in any 

 season. Birds may also lose their ability to fly or may drown. Diving 

 birds may acquire oil by entering oil -slicked water directly, while shore 

 birds may pick up oil by moving about in a habitat covered with wash-up oil. 

 Birds are also attracted to oil-slicked waters due to the calm surfaces. 



71 



