However, if excess oil gets into streams, lakes, or oceans, as in an oil tanker spill, it can be harmful to ducks and other water birds.
Oil is one of the most common pollutants in our water.
You have probably heard of the Exxon Valdez oil spill. It happened at Prince William Sound in Alaska. Tragedies like this do not happen often, though. Most of the oil in oceans gets there when oil tanks on ships are rinsed while at sea. When ducks and other waterfowl come in contact with oil floating on top of the water, their feathers become matted.