AR-News: (AU) Large number of penguin deaths on Victorian coastline

[Animalara2003 at aol.com]

The World Today - Monday, 8 March , 2004  12:46:46
Reporter: Rachel Carbonell
HAMISH ROBERTSON: To the deaths of thousands of penguins, washed up on the 
beaches and rocky shores of the south west coast of Victoria.

Wildlife authorities say the deaths are natural and involve mostly fledglings 
which have simply starved to death.

However, the death rate is higher than normal, and scientists are keeping a 
close eye on the number of penguin chicks being washed up.

As Rachel Carbonell reports, experts believe that many of the young birds are 
from the famous Phillip Island penguin population.

RACHEL CARBONELL: Dead penguins have been washing up on various beaches along 
the Victorian coastline in recent days, with the largest number being about 
1,500 at Discovery Bay near the South Australian border. That's several hundred 
kilometres away from Phillip Island, home to a world famous population of 
about 14,000 pairs of Little Penguins, also known as fairy penguins.

Penguin biologist Andre Chiaradia, from the Phillip Island Nature Park, says 
fledgling chicks undertake massive explorations early on, before those that 
survive settle down and stick to the one area.

For reasons as yet unknown, Discovery Bay is a popular destination for 
fledgling chicks, and so it isn't surprising so many birds have washed up there.

ANDRE CHIARADIA: We are at the end of the breeding season, so we have all the 
chicks fledging and they have a really high mortality in the first year, 
which is about 60 to 70 per cent of the chicks, they die in the first year of 
life, which is really high.







full story:

http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2004/s1061349.htm 
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