Malvinas, colonies of Gentoo penguins, the most affected by bird flu; Yorke Bay remains closed to the public
Bird flu researcher Dr. Amandine Gamble of Cornell University
The Gentoo penguin colony at Yorke Bay, a beach near Stanley, capital of the Falkland Islands, has “suffered a severe decline” due to bird flu, which has seen all pairs capable of breeding leave the area, according to local veterinary research.
Yorke Bay, actually a park with a beautiful beach, a major attraction for Stanley residents and tourists, remains closed to the public.
It is estimated that last year there were around 180 pairs of Gentoo penguins on the beach (penguins are generally monogamous), but surveys carried out on October 31 and November 3 showed that there were no breeding pairs left and any nests that were occupied had been abandoned.
The Falklands Government (FIG) veterinary report added that dozens of non-breeding pairs have been surveyed in the colony and their health status continues to be closely monitored.
Therefore, grade 3 restrictions persist around the penguin colony, which prohibits humans and pets from accessing the beach. The area has been cordoned off and during cruise ship season, when up to 500 visitors can visit, they will also face rangers to ensure isolation.
A team made up of employees from the Departments of Agriculture and Environment, together with researchers from Cornell University, in the USA, takes care of the penguin colony with tours two to three times a week. Cornell team leader Dr. Amandine Gamble, who has been studying the bird flu problem in the Falklands for several seasons, said Penguin News He said “this year has been particularly severe from the start, including dead specimens found in the Yorke Bay colony, even in the winter months.”
Amadine explained that the virus was still transmitted by birds, “but not as intensely as in the summer months, and this is because in the summer the penguins congregate much more densely”. And indeed it was so because shortly before she arrived on the Islands, regular monitoring of the Islands showed that approximately every two or three days around 15 dead specimens were removed.” He added, “There are many penguins that are dying and I think this is just the tip of the iceberg, as many certainly die at sea… the intense mortality began at the beginning of the mating and breeding season.
Gamble noted that many of the birds hatched on October 24, “supposedly very happy, although mortality was significant; they seemed happy and a few days later were still fine.”
However, a drone flyover the following weekend showed that the colony “was gone.” And he also noticed that all the nests were empty and only eggshells remained.
“Probably what happened was that they decided not to breed this year. What determined that situation we don’t know. It’s not like other times when they don’t breed because of bird flu because many more colonies were affected by bird flu and they keep a breeding kitten.”
“They group together in colonies and as this behavior evolves, as if to protect themselves, and have some offspring, as the colony would be reaching a lower limit of specimens and survival, and they think that “we are no longer safe in this place, and that is why they are leaving, or it could also be some trigger that stressed them, like many scavenging birds around the colony”.
Gamble estimated that about eighty nests were missing or abandoned, but there were 80 dead penguins, and although some may have died, it appears that it was the colony that left, although several non-breeding penguins were still on site. There’s also no telling where the penguins fled to or whether they will actually hatch again this season, although in theory “it could happen and they try again when the first one fails.” And it cannot be predicted whether or not the penguin colony will return to Yorke Bay.
Although the contrast of having a colony on the beach, and then nothing, is somewhat surprising, Dr. Gamble said that mortality in other colonies had been worse, “I think particularly because those colonies are so much more numerous.”
Two other penguin rookeries on the islands, the Gentoo colonies at Little Creek and Volunteer Lagoon, also under Category 3 restrictions, will be reviewed and reclassified at the end of November.
As for the outlook for bird flu this season in the Falklands, Dr Gamble said that “it will probably be as serious as last year, and this gives the impression that the disease has started much worse than expected, and most likely the Gentoos will face another very difficult year”.
On the positive side, I’m betting it will be a much better year for albatrosses.
Dr. Gamble’s conclusion arose from the suspicion that the high mortality of albatrosses is linked to the high mortality recorded among elephant seals in South America and the scavenging behavior they practiced.
So far this year, a much larger number of elephant seal deaths have not been seen or recorded.
Likewise, through her team’s research, Dr. Gamble will try to find out whether surviving birds created antibodies to protect them from bird flu.
“We hope that this time the population will have individuals who are sufficiently protected, and that the outbreaks will be less and less impressive. The public is once again reminded to stay approximately six meters away from natural life, not touch or pick up dead or sick animals, and immediately report a situation of this nature to the Veterinary Service.
Yorke Bay’s restriction level 3 will be reviewed on November 17. (Source Penguin News)