NESTING ACTIVITY OF YELLOW-BILLED LOONS ON THE COLVILLE RIVER DELTA, ALASKA, AFTER THE EXXON-VALDEZ OIL-SPILL

During the summer after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William S ound in March 1989, we surveyed Yellow-billed Loons (Gavia adamsii) on lakes in the Colville River delta in northern Alaska. A study in 1983 -1984 documenting nesting activity in the same area provided a baselin e for comparisons of possible effects of the spill on nesting activity . Density of adult loons in 1989 was similar to densities in 1983-1984 . We located 26 pairs of Yellow-billed Loons in 29 nesting territories . However, only 42% of the loon pairs nested in 1989, compared to 76% nesting pairs in 1983 and 79% in 1984.