This Pacific loon was photographed in Alaska’s North Slope on July 8, 2018.
Credit: Nick Athanas / flickr

Migratory bird nest survival “decreased significantly” near fossil fuel extraction sites in Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay, a study led by the Wildlife Conservation Society revealed Tuesday.

WCS analyzed 17 years of migratory bird nesting data in Prudhoe Bay and found that “nest survival decreased significantly near high-use oil and gas infrastructure and its related noise, dust, traffic, air pollution, and other disturbances.”

“Prudhoe Bay is the site of intensive energy development and is located on the Arctic Coastal Plain, one of the most important avian breeding grounds in the world,” WCS noted. “Millions of birds nest here, with some then migrating through every state in the nation to wintering grounds in Central and South America, even Africa, with others crossing the Pacific Ocean to Russia, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica.”

According to the study, which was published in the Journal of Avian Biology:

The Arctic Coastal Plain is one of the most important avian breeding grounds in the […]

Read the Full Article