Abstract
Adult Storm-Petrels had between 0.004 and 0.0008 ml of fossil fuel hydrocarbons present in their food samples when they were considered contaminated. Chicks of Fork-Tailed Storm-Petrels (Oceanodroma furcata) were fed 0.1 ml of weathered Prudhoe Bay crude oil, which should be close to the maximum dose they might receive at a feeding. Chicks dosed orally once, twice, or weekly with 0.1 ml weathered Prudhoe Bay crude oil did not differ significantly in gross morphology, bill, tarsus, or wing growth from control chicks. Chicks dosed one time gained weight between the ages of 0–21 days at significantly slower rates. Chicks aged 22–51 days grew similarly regardless of treatment.
Dosed chicks fledged on average two days later than control chicks. Ingesting small amounts of weathered oil had little effect perhaps because Storm-Petrels may be able to ingest long-chained hydrocarbons (like petroleum) with relative impunity, because these compounds are relatively nontoxic and are part of their normal diet.
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Boersma, P.D., Davies, E.M. & Reid, W.V. Weathered crude oil effects on chicks of Fork-Tailed Storm-Petrels (Oceanodroma furcata). Arch. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 17, 527–531 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01055519
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01055519