Una rara afección se ha presentado en los últimos años entre los pichones de los pingüinos africano y de Magallanes: van perdiendo el plumón y se quedan peeled. The experts are baffled, because it has occurred mostly in the rehabilitation centers, and because the birds that survive end up having a normal plumage.
The first result of these comments has just been published in the journal Waterbirds, and the authors hope to serve as a warning to investigate what happens in every colony of penguins. Of the 18 existing species, have so far detected in two.
The greatest number of sick birds has been recorded among African penguins, in the South African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB, its acronym in English) in Cape Town. The frequent spills from tankers that require a high activity center to clean oiled penguins.
This species suffers greater threats than Magellan, because of overfishing, ungrudgingly them food, and climate change. "As the distribution of fish changed, they are abandoning their colonies to go to the East," says Pablo García Borboroglu, a researcher at CONICET Cenpatico and co-author of the study. Following de eso, cuando falta comida, muchas veces los adultos tienen que abandonar a las crías . Estos centros los recogen hasta que puedan alimentarse solos”.
Allí fue donde, en 2006, comenzaron a ver que iban perdiendo mechones de plumón, hasta quedar desnudos.
Se trata del plumón suave con el que salen del huevo, que los mantiene aislados térmicamente pero no es apto para estar en el agua; a los 90 o 100 días, es reemplazado por un plumaje impermeable.
That year, the strange disease affecting 7% of the birds collected, in 2007, to 18% and in 2008, to 11% (in the colonies, the number was much lower). Fed and kept warm in the rehabilitation center, his mortality was similar to or lower than the rest of the offspring.
When healthy chicks moved out of feathers, the bare also grew them "dress" raincoat. However, were smaller than others, and needed more time in the recovery center to be able to be released.
En Argentina se detectaron crías de pingüino de Magallanes sin plumas, en un número mucho menor, en las colonias de Punta Tombo, San Lorenzo, Caleta Valdés y Cabo Dos Bahías. “En estado silvestre no tienen aislación térmica, y gastan más energía en termorregular, que en crecer.
Y a la edad en que tienen que migrar, son mucho más chicos que los otros –observa García Borboroglu–. En un pichón no muy gordo, es una mortalidad adicional”.
Scientists did not have the resources to investigate. "No injuries of any kind, or inflammation of the follicles of feathers," he adds.
So far there are only hypotheses.
Everything indicates that it might be a virus. " According to the biologist, in this case, being malnourished make them more susceptible to illness.
"What we report para llamar la atención de otros especialistas –señala García Borboroglu–. Nos preguntamos qué estará pasando en colonias que ni siquiera se visitan, como las subantárticas, y otras que quizás no se conocen. Primero se necesita saber la causa, y si está dispersándose a otras colonias y a otras especies de pingüinos”.
Un argentino reconocido en todo el mundo
El doctor Pablo García Borboroglu preside Global Penguin Society (www.globalpenguinsociety.org), una coalición internacional dedicada a la protección de todas las especies penguin in the world, promoting integrated conservation of the oceans through science, management and education.
created GPS Argentine biologist with the $ 150,000 prize Pew Fellows in Marine Conservation, which was awarded in 2009. "Penguins are more than charismatic icons of the Antarctic landscapes: they serve as early warning alarms to ocean environments, then said Joshua S. Reichert, managing director of Pew Environment Group. Working to reduce threats to penguin populations en los océanos australes, el doctor Borboroglu también contribuirá a restaurar el balance en los ecosistemas marinos a través del hemisferio sur.
FUENTE: diario Clarín
FUENTE: diario Clarín
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