CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – According to a study conducted by a group of experts lead by the University of Pretoria (UP), tourists’ near proximity to African penguin babies may create stress in the birds. Immunosuppression could occur as a result of the stress, making them more susceptible to disease and limiting their ability to […]
Tag: penguins
New Discovery Center could stress little penguins on Penguin Island in Australia
Conservationists are concerned about new plans to erect a structure on Australia’s Penguin Island. The fear is that it will add to the already-heavy stress on the island’s already-vulnerable birds. The structure will serve as a “exploration center,” with space for the penguins to nest and a water system to keep them cool when it’s […]
Half this year’s little penguin chicks on WA’s Penguin Island wiped out as colony dwindles
Half the little penguin chicks from this year’s breeding season on Penguin Island in Western Australia have died, as the colony dwindles and researchers accuse the state government of failing to act. It is thought up to 20 chicks, which represented 10% of the colony, were lost after New Year’s Day when their parents were […]
Penguins in crisis as sardine populations plummet
African penguin populations are plummeting along with sardine stocks. As are Cape gannets and Cape cormorants, who also feed almost exclusively on the small pelagic fish. The penguins at Boulders Beach in Simonstown are safe as a tourist attraction, for now. The population has been relatively stable over the last five years but researchers believe […]
‘Super rare’: Antarctic penguin washes up in New Zealand, 3,000km from home
An Antarctic penguin has traversed 3,000km of icy waters to find himself far from home and on new and puzzling shores: the south-eastern coastline of New Zealand. The Adélie penguin in question, affectionately named “Pingu” by locals, was spotted looking somewhat lost at Birdlings Flat, a small settlement on New Zealand’s South Island. It’s only […]
What Will Happen to the Penguin Population as Climate Change Worsens?
The effects of climate change are seemingly infinite. It feels like every day brings news of another dwindling population or wiped out plant species. When times get tough, watching videos of dawdling penguins can make the earth seem a little kinder. Unfortunately, penguins are not immune to climate change, and their population numbers and food supplies […]
Avian eye: how to take photos of birds that stand out from the flock
Taking good photos of wildlife can be hard, especially birds, as they often move in three dimensions. The right equipment certainly helps, but like most photography, it’s never just about that. Composition and storytelling Whatever equipment you have (and I’ll get to that), the first thing to think about is trying to be at eye […]
Bees kill 63 endangered penguins in South Africa
A swarm of bees has killed 63 endangered African penguins on a beach outside Cape Town, the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds said. The protected birds were found dead in Simon’s Town, a small town near Cape Town home to a colony of penguins, and taken for post-mortems. “After tests, we […]