The attached map shows the how the Cosco Busan Oil Spill (November 7th, 2007) hit four Important Bird Areas in the Bay Area -- Richardson Bay, Brooks Island, East Shore Wetlands, and Bolinas Lagoon. Important Bird Areas are critical habitat for one or more species of bird and are recognized as a key component of global bird and biodiversity conservation. The map, which uses data collected through November 11th, 2007 by the Office of Spill Prevention and Response, depicts a conservative estimate of oiled shoreline. Audubon California will update this map as additional data becomes available.

The impacts on birds reaches beyond the specific Important Bird Areas as well over 1 million birds rely on San Francisco Bay. In addition, this is a particularly critical time for bird movement down the California Coast and with oil having moved out of the Golden Gate into the open ocean, a whole additional set of birds is at risk on the outer coast. The number of birds moving along the coast is spectacular, with one observer counting over 17,000 Pacific Loons moving south of the Bay Area along the coast one morning after the spill.

There are many sources of information on the impact that this spill is having on birds. If you want additional information visit Audubon California, PRBO-Conservation Science and the San Francisco Bay Habitat Joint Venture websites.

Affected Shoreline Data Provided by Audubon California
Species Data Provided by eBird.