The mystery of why dozens of dead birds are found stranded on beaches along the New South Wales coast has been solved.
A photo of a bird half buried in the sand led locals on Sydney’s northern beaches to wonder why so many carcasses had been seen.
Northside Emergency Veterinary Service provided a definitive answer in a post on its Facebook page, explaining that the mass deaths were an annual phenomenon.
“We are seeing large numbers of sea shearwaters (also called shearwaters) washing up along local beaches, mainly due to exhaustion and hunger,” he said.
‘This is due to the challenges posed by their intense annual migration between Australia and the Northern Hemisphere and reduced food availability, likely related to climate change.
“Unfortunately, if a shearwater is too weak to fly, it is sadly unlikely to recover.”
Locals debated whether the effects of climate change were causing more birds to die than in previous years.
“This happens every year, but researchers have found that the death rate has been increasing,” one person commented.
Locals on Sydney’s northern beaches asked why some dead birds were turning up
Northside Emergency Veterinary Service has provided a definitive answer to why so many dead birds were washing up on Sydney beaches, revealing it is an annual phenomenon.
‘Climate change has meant there is less food for poor birds and they are dying from malnutrition. Very sad.’
Some shearwaters travel up to 15,000 km during their annual migration between nesting areas in the southern and northern hemispheres.
The birds need to be at full strength to make the gigantic journey over the Pacific, but the fish they feed on have apparently declined due to rising sea temperatures.
Anyone who finds a stranded or weak shearwater should contact a licensed wildlife rescue and rehabilitation group or the nearest veterinarian.
Pets and children should be kept away from endangered birds.
If a bird is found with a metal ring on its leg, people should report the number to the Australian Bird and Bat Banding Programme.