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South American seabirds flock to Panama due to El Niño
Seabirds native to the cold waters off Peru and Chile are appearing in unusually high numbers in Panama Bay, far outside their typical range. Researchers attribute this displacement to a powerful El Niño event that is warming the eastern Pacific and disrupting marine food supplies.
The warming ocean temperatures have driven essential food sources, such as anchovies and sardines, away from traditional feeding grounds, forcing birds to travel long distances in search of sustenance. Rosabel Miró, director of the Audubon Society of Panama, noted that the unusual sightings began in June, serving as an early indicator of the intensifying El Niño.
Data from the citizen-science platform eBird shows that between 60 and 400 blue-footed boobies have been observed near Peñón de San José and surrounding areas since June. This is a significant increase compared to the 2014-2016 El Niño, which saw between 21 and 200 sightings, and the 2023-2024 event, which saw between three and 62.
Entities
Audubon Society of Panama · Panama Bay · Rosabel Miró · eBird
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 3 SOURCES] South American seabirds are appearing in Panama Bay outside of their usual range. mix929.com · wdez.com · ca.news.yahoo.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Between 60 and 400 blue-footed boobies have been observed near Peñón de San José since June. mix929.com · wdez.com · ca.news.yahoo.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] The presence of the birds served as an early indicator of a strong El Niño event. mix929.com · wdez.com · ca.news.yahoo.com
- [● 3 SOURCES] Warming waters in the eastern Pacific have driven fish like anchovies and sardines away from traditional feeding grounds. mix929.com · wdez.com · ca.news.yahoo.com