Scott Hanko
Magellanic Penguin
Spheniscus magellanicus
Millions of these penguins still live on the coasts of Chile and Argentina, but the species is classified as "Threatened species," primarily due to the vulnerability of large breeding colonies to oil spills, which kill 20,000 adults and 22,000 juveniles every year off the coast of Argentina. The decline of fish populations is also responsible, as well as predators such as sea lions and giant petrels, which prey on the chicks
Climate change is forcing the birds to swim farther to find food, according researchers from the University of Washington.(Feb 16 2009)
Climate change has displaced fish populations, so Magellanic penguins must swim an extra 25 miles (40 km) further from the nest for fish. While the penguins are swimming an extra 50 miles (80.4 km), their mates are sitting on a nest and starving. A colony being tracked by University of Washington professor P. Dee Boersma, about 1,000 miles (1,609 km) south of Buenos Aires has fallen by more than 20 percent in the past 22 years, leaving 200,000 breeding pairs. Some younger penguins are now moving their breeding colonies north to be closer to fish, but, in some cases, this is putting them on private, unprotected lands.
12 out of 17 penguin species are experiencing rapid population declines.
Sea Bird Aviary
Bronx Zoo New York
Magellanic Penguin
Spheniscus magellanicus
Millions of these penguins still live on the coasts of Chile and Argentina, but the species is classified as "Threatened species," primarily due to the vulnerability of large breeding colonies to oil spills, which kill 20,000 adults and 22,000 juveniles every year off the coast of Argentina. The decline of fish populations is also responsible, as well as predators such as sea lions and giant petrels, which prey on the chicks
Climate change is forcing the birds to swim farther to find food, according researchers from the University of Washington.(Feb 16 2009)
Climate change has displaced fish populations, so Magellanic penguins must swim an extra 25 miles (40 km) further from the nest for fish. While the penguins are swimming an extra 50 miles (80.4 km), their mates are sitting on a nest and starving. A colony being tracked by University of Washington professor P. Dee Boersma, about 1,000 miles (1,609 km) south of Buenos Aires has fallen by more than 20 percent in the past 22 years, leaving 200,000 breeding pairs. Some younger penguins are now moving their breeding colonies north to be closer to fish, but, in some cases, this is putting them on private, unprotected lands.
12 out of 17 penguin species are experiencing rapid population declines.
Sea Bird Aviary
Bronx Zoo New York