The cause of the animals’ deaths is still unclear. Climate change could be part of the explanation. But what is certain is that this is not a one-time event.
Nearly 200 seabirds were found dead on the Danish coast within a week. The Danish Ornithological Society (DOF) said ornithologist Kim Fischer discovered all dead and dying animals along the western coast of Fano Island in the North Sea.
Among them are 175 guillemots (Uria aalge), but also some puffins (Fratercula arctica) and fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis). Fanø is located about 60 kilometers north of the German-Danish border.
So Fisher suspects that the birds died of starvation. He was quoted as saying in a statement that nearly all of them had new feathers, but were severely emaciated. It was feared that the animals discovered in Fano represented only a small percentage of the birds that died. According to the Association of Ornithologists, guillemots and other northern seabirds have been reported dead in Skagen in northern Denmark in recent months.
It remains unclear how the mass deaths in Fano could have occurred. Researcher from Aarhus University, Eb Craig Petersen, told Danish radio DR over the weekend that it’s still hard to find an explanation, but it may be a combination of a lack of food and a lot of recent storms. So climate change, which alters the birds’ conditions, could be part of the explanation. According to Dr, other countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium and England are currently reporting extraordinary numbers of stranded, dying birds. (dpa)
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