When Balloons Fly, Seabirds Die

Balloons are the deadliest marine debris item to seabirds*.

We love balloons, but when they’re used outdoors they can escape into the environment and end up in oceans or waterways, harming and even killing precious wildlife.

*CSIRO 2019

The CSIRO 2019 found that seabirds are up to 32 times more likely to die when they swallow balloons than any form of hard plastic.

Balloons can look like food floating on the water’s surface and animals can ingest them or even feed them to their young. This has led scientists to name balloons as one of the disproportionately deadliest litter items to marine wildlife such as seabirds and turtles (CSIRO 2020). It doesn’t have to be this way!

230,000 people have promised to blow bubbles, not balloons at outdoor events.

You can too!

Is your school, company, council or community ready to go balloon-free?

Balloon clips and plastic removed from a Flesh-footed Shearwater on Lord Howe Island. Source: Ian Hutton

Case Study

More than 80% of seabird chicks on Lord Howe Island have ingested rubbish, with balloons and their attachments some of the most identifiable items.

In many cases, adult birds are feeding their chicks this rubbish thinking it is food. Baby birds are often found underweight and starving and can die before ever leaving the nest.

Measuring the impact of this campaign

Our partners at Phillip Island Nature Parks have measured a steady reduction in the number of balloons and balloon clips and strings being found on Phillip Island beaches. Compared to 2017/2018, the total number of these items observed on the island’s beaches was 63% less in 2018/2019. This is great news!

Miss Wing the penguin enjoying watching bubbles being blown.

Meet the seabirds most affected by balloons

Flesh-footed Shearwaters - near threatened

These migratory birds breed in colonies, with one of their main colonies found on Lord Howe Island. Here their numbers are in decline due to mistakenly ingesting rubbish and even feeding it to their chicks.

Short-tailed Shearwaters - population decreasing

Short-tailed Shearwaters are one of the few migratory birds that come to Australia to breed on Phillip Island. Both parents feed their chicks when they return from foraging at sea, and the shearwaters remain on the island until April, when the fledglings are strong enough to start the 15,000 km flight back to Alaska. On the long journey, many birds mistake plastics floating on the ocean’s surface as food.

Planning a balloon-free event?

Whether it’s your school fete, sports carnival, market or party, you can make it balloon-free. You can make your next outdoor event seabird-safe by switching balloons with one of these wildlife-friendly alternatives.