SUSCEPTIBILITY TO OIL POLLUTION 



Wintering Whistling Swans normally rest on the water at night in protected 

 inlets, estuaries, and lakes. They are very vulnerable to oiling in these wa- 

 ters, and probably are more likely to be affected by spills at onshore support 

 facilities than by offshore drilling accidents. Perry et al. (1979) estimated 

 that 385 Whistling Swans died as a result of two oil spills in Chesapeake Bay 

 in 1976 and 1978. 



King and Sanger's (1979) study of the vulnerability of marine birds in the 

 northeastern Pacific suggested that there should be high concern for Whistling 

 Swans regarding potential ill effects from development of petroleum resources. 

 Among anatids only the sea-ducks, Black Brant, and Emperor Goose were consid- 

 ered more vulnerable. Concern for the effects of oil on this species should 

 also be high for populations wintering in North Carolina; so few birds winter 

 elsewhere in the southeast that oil pollution elsewhere should have little ef- 

 fect on the total population. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



1980 



Bateson, P., W. Lotwick and D. K. Scott. 1980. Similarities between the faces 

 of parents and offspring in Bewick's Swans and the differences between 

 mates. J. Zool. (Lond.) 191: 61-74. 



Evans, M. E. 1980. The effects of experience and breeding status on the use 

 of a wintering site by Bewick's Swans Cygnus columbianus bewickii . Ibis 

 122: 287-297. 



Evans, M. E. and W. J. L. Sladen. 1980. A comparative analysis of the bill 

 markings of Whistling and Bewick's Swans and out-of-range occurrences of 

 the two taxa. Auk 97: 697-703. 



1979 



Cely, J. H. 1979. A survey of Whistling Swans along the South Carolina coast, 

 Chat 43: 93. 



Damare, J. M. , D. Hussong, R. M. Weiner and R. R. Colwell. 1979. Aerobic and 

 facultatively anaerobic bacteria associated with the gut of Canada Geese 

 ( Branta canadensis ) and Whistling Swans ( Cygnus columbianus columbianus ) . 

 Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 38: 258-266. 



Evans, M. E. 1979a. Population composition, and return according to breeding 

 status of Bewick's Swans wintering at Slimbridge, 1963 to 1976. Wildfowl 

 30: 118-128. 



. 1979b. Aspects of the life cycle of the Bewick's Swan, based on recog- 

 nition of individuals at a wintering site. Bird Study 26: 149-162. 



56 



