How Do Oil Spills Affect Feathers?

Oil spills that occur in the environment can be disastrous to animals. Oil spills can occur due to accidental human error, equipment breakage, natural disasters or when people illegally dump oil into the oceans. Without immediate intervention, animals such as birds can have a lowered survival rate. When a bird's feathers become clumped with oil, a bird is incapable of thoroughly cleaning her feathers. As a result, a bird can develop severe complications or die due to hypothermia.

Feather Function

• Birds need clean feathers.

  A bird's feather is a finely tuned instrument. Feathers for a bird not only provide insulation, but also protection from ultraviolet rays. Without wings, a bird is incapable of flying. A bird has various forms of feathers, and each type of feather provides a different function. For example, flight feathers are known as regimes and contour feathers help to protect a bird from the elements. If a bird's feathers are subjected to oil, the feathers lose all capabilities of protection.

Hypothermia

• Birds can die from hypothermia.

  According to the Air and Waste Management Association, when a bird's feathers are contaminated with oil, she can lose her insulation properties. Oil on feathers can cause a bird to not be able to adjust her body temperature. A bird's body temperature can plummet and cause her to die.

Buoyancy

• A loss of buoyancy can cause a bird to die.

  Oil can weigh down a bird's feathers. Sea birds are equipped with a natural oil coating in their feathers. This oil coating provides for air bubbles to become trapped in the wings, allowing for buoyancy. When a sea bird's feathers become clogged with oil, she will lose her ability to trap air bubbles in her feathers. As a result, she can sink into the water and drown.

Dehydration and Starvation

• A bird can eventually starve or become dehydrated.

  If a bird isn't able to clean her feathers, she's incapable of flying or moving. A bird can't dive to look for food or swim in the water. Eventually the bird will give up on finding food or finding a means to drink water. According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, oiled feathers will then lead to probable starvation and dehydration.

Oil Ingestion

• The cleaning of feathers can be problematic.

  A bird's natural response to dirty wings is to clean her wings. When a bird tries to clean oiled feathers, this can lead to disastrous consequences. At times the ingestion of oil can result in automatic death. The cleaning of oiled feathers can also lead to organ damage, skin ulcerations, immune system suppression, skin infections and the impairment of reproduction.