The extraction and refining of bitumen from Canada’s oil sands is taking a significant toll on migratory birds throughout North America, according to a new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Pembina Institute and the Boreal Songbird Initiative. Danger in the Nursery: Impact on Birds of Tar Sands Oil Development in Canada’s Boreal Forest outlines the current and projected effects of the oil sands industry on migratory bird populations in Alberta’s boreal forest and along the Western Hemisphere’s flyways.

“At a time when bird populations are rapidly declining, this report puts into perspective the far reaching effects of oil sands development on North America’s birds,” said the report’s lead author, Jeff Wells, Ph.D., of the Boreal Songbird Initiative. “The public needs to understand the real and long-term ecological costs of this development and determine if they are acceptable.”

Canada’s boreal forest is a globally important destination for birds as a nesting area and breeding habitat, especially for an array of wetland-dependent birds. Unfortunately, the rapidly expanding oil sands industry increasingly puts these birds at risk. It is estimated that half of America’s migratory birds nest in the boreal forest, and 22 to 170 million birds breed each year in the area that could eventually be developed for oil sands. The report projects that the cumulative impact over the next 30 to 50 years could be as high as 166 million birds lost, including future generations. The report suggests impacts will increase in the next 30 to 50 years, despite international treaties to protect these birds.

Almost every aspect of oil development affects migratory birds throughout the flyways of North America. In Alberta, oil sands mining and drilling causes significant habitat loss and fragmentation. Toxic tailing ponds result in 8,000 to 100,000 oiled and drowned birds annually. (For example, in a single incident this year, 500 ducks died after landing in one of the polluted water storage lakes). Oil sands mining is a water-intensive process that is licensed to use more water than a city of three million people.

The threat to birds is not contained exclusively in Alberta. Increasing development of oil sands refinery and pipeline infrastructure is creating a direct pollution delivery system into the Great Lakes. The resulting decrease in air and water quality affects migratory birds, which will suffer elevated mortality numbers as a result of contaminants and toxins from refining. Most importantly, global warming changes already affecting boreal birds are exacerbated by the oil sands, which account for Canada’s fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions.

The report was released by a group of concerned environmental and conservation organizations to highlight the growing problem. In the report, experts from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Boreal Songbird Initiative and Pembina Institute outline potential policy changes that can be made on both sides of the border. The report was peer-reviewed by 10 scientists in the U.S. and Canada. 

“This report is yet another wake up call to the government in Alberta, as it confirms that the cumulative impact of oil sands development is on an unsustainable trajectory,” said the Pembina Institute’s Simon Dyer, a contributing author to the report. “It is clear that oil sands mining and in-situ development is already taking a toll on boreal birds. Alberta must move quickly to implement long overdue conservation planning and policies to address these impacts.”

“The loss of as many as 166 million birds is a wholly unacceptable price to pay for America’s addiction to oil,” said NRDC's Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, a contributing author to the report. “Birds tell us so much about what is going on in the environment around us. This report makes it very clear that they are telling us it is time for a change in American energy policy. There are better energy options available in North America that do not foul our air, poison our waters, or kill our backyard birds.”

The report and fact sheet are available for download here.

Oil Sands

The oil sands boom in Alberta has been fueled by an increasing market in the U.S. for the synthetic crude oil refined from bitumen. The bitumen occurs mixed in the sandy soil below the boreal forest, and mining, extracting and upgrading it into synthetic crude produces significant greenhouse gas pollution. Producing one barrel of synthetic crude generates three times the greenhouse gas emissions of a barrel of conventional oil.

Oil sands crude has been the source of significant controversy on both sides of the border. The U.S. Conference of Mayors and United States federal government have both pledged to focus on fuel sources with lower emissions. In the Great Lakes region, there has been a public outcry over lax pollution permits granted to a number of high-profile projects being undertaken to increase oil sands refining, such as the BP expansion in Whiting, IN. More information is available at Oil Sands Watch and the NRDC.

Birds of the Boreal

The report identifies a variety of species threatened by oil sands extraction and refining, including whooping cranes, buffleheads, Bohemian waxwings, Canada and blackpoll warblers, white-throated sparrows, goldeneyes, lesser scaups, and a variety of jays. More information is available from the Boreal Songbird Initiative.

Note to Reporters

A variety of supporting photos and media files are available from the Boreal Songbird Initiative.