Hundreds of dead penguins found along Brazil’s beaches

Hundreds of penguins that appear to have starved to death are washing up on the beaches of Brazil, worrying scientists because of the unusually high numbers.

In Brazil’s Sao Paulo state, about 500 penguins have been found in the last 10 days on Praia Grande, Peruibe and Itanhaem beaches, according to Thiago do Nascimento, a biologist with the Peruibe Aquarium. Most of the dead birds were Magellanic penguins - small, shy creatures also known as jackass penguins because of their loud braying calls - migrating north from Chile, Argentina and the Falkland Islands while searching for food in warmer waters. Autopsies performed on several of the birds showed their stomachs to be completely empty, suggesting they starved to death, Nascimento said, according to the Associated Press. Among the possible culprits for the penguins’ deaths are strong ocean currents, colder-than-normal water temperatures, or human activity. “Overfishing may have made the fish and squid scarcer, Nascimento said. In Chile’s Patagonia Sur, one of the summer homes for Magellanic penguins, the birds have been making necessary lifestyle adjustments by swimming greater distances for daily food requirements. This adjustment is necessary due to reduced fish populations resulting from overfishing as well as their food sources being displaced because of global warming. In addition to the reduced food supply, the penguins are also at the mercy of oil spills and fishing nets, both which continue taking a toll on the birds’ populations. As a result of the above factors, Magellanic penguins are now on the “Near threatened” list. The penguins depart nesting areas such as Pinguinera de Seno Otway in mid-March, heading north for their winter season off the coast of Brazil. In doing so, some will get lost along the way or die from hunger or exhaustion, according to Nascimento. However, the large number of dead birds is highly suspect, as Nascimento said about 100 to 150 penguins show up on the area beaches in an average year, with only 10 or so being found dead. "What worries us this year," he said, "is the absurdly high number of penguins that have appeared dead in a short period of time."