Effect of non-petroleum oil spills on wintering birds near Vancouver

Abstract Within the period of our records, spills of vegetable oils at Vancouver harbour have caused greater losses of birds than spills of petroleum oils. Vegetable oils affect birds by feather wetting but do not exhibit odour and slick characteristics of petroleum oils. Because most vegetable oils are edible their potential danger to aquatic birds may go unnoticed; sites of storage and transhipment of vegetable oils may be overlooked in oil spill contingency planning.