An analysis of puffins and other birds could explain mysterious mass die-offs. Seabirds are among the most threatened bird groups.
Seabirds are among the most threatened bird groups and face a number of hazards including habitat loss and invasive species. Winter wrecks further exacerbate the problem; in the winter of 2014 alone, Clairbaux notes,To understand how winter cyclones imperil seabirds, she and her colleagues visited the summer breeding sites for five species, including little auks, Atlantic puffins, common and thick-billed murres, and black-legged kittiwakes.
Finally, the team calculated the energy demands of all five species under both typical winter and cyclonic conditions. To do this, they drew upon weather data such as air temperature and wind speed for a seabird wintering hotspot off the coast of Newfoundland that measured 1,000 kilometers by 1,000 kilometers .
Even if starvation is the main driver of seabird winter wrecks, she and her colleagues note, other dangers such as drowning and collisions with reefs and rocks may also play a role in the die-offs. These birds carry limited fat stores and struggle to fly when the wind picks up, Clairbaux says. “They cannot cope with long starvation,” she says. “Two days of harsh conditions are just enough to kill little auks.”
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