Nature & Environment

Mystery as thousands of dead penguins wash up in Uruguay

By T.K. Randall
July 25, 2023 ·  2 comments

Magellanic penguins. Image Credit: CC BY 2.0 dfaulder According to reports, the birds started to wash up on beaches in eastern Uruguay 10 days ago and as things stand, more than 2,000 of them have been discovered along the shoreline.

Believed to be Magellanic penguins, the birds are almost all juveniles.

Scientists have conducted a number of tests to determine the cause of death and have so far ruled out avian flu - one of the most common causes of mass bird deaths.The penguins are known to migrate during the winter and can often be found hundreds of miles from the coast. While it is not unusual for some of them not to make it, the numbers seen this year are far higher than normal and it remains unclear exactly why this should be the case.

"This is mortality in the water," said Carmen Leizagoyen of the Uruguayan Environment Ministry.

"Ninety per cent are young specimens that arrive without fat reserves and with empty stomachs."

The search for answers continues.

Source: Telegraph | Comments (2)

Tags: Penguins