Is El Nino causing mass bird deaths in Mexico?

Reuters Videos
1 年前

STORY: Is a marine heatwave causing mass bird deaths in Mexico?

Some 300 wild birds were found dead along Mexico's Pacific coast

Authorities had initially suspected bird flu

but later found that the most likely reason was warmer oceans resulting from El Nino

[Roberto Navarro, Mexican official]

"What we are finding is that birds are dying of starvation, that is the main problem. The starvation is happening because of this global warming and the El Niño phenomenon, in which the water temperatures are rising and that makes the fish that they feed on go deeper so they can’t find them within reach.”

El Nino is a periodic natural phenomenon, which lasts between months and years

It warms the Pacific Ocean, fueling tropical cyclones and other weather-induced disasters

With warmer waters, fish tend to swim lower in search of colder waters

As a result, it is more difficult for seabirds to successfully hunt for their food

REUTERS / MEXICO'S SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE HANDOUT / TOM GORDON/UNIVERSITY OF EXETER / COOPERATIVE INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN THE ATMOSPHERE AT COLORADO STATE, THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY, AND THE JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY