According to satellite data, thousands of emperor penguins in western Antarctica lost their chicks last year, primarily due to receding sea ice.
To determine the fate of the breeding season, researchers analyzed satellite images of colonies (SN: 8/4/20). Out of the five colonies observed, four likely lost all their chicks. This finding was reported on August 23 in Communications Earth & Environment.
Emperor penguins heavily rely on stable sea ice throughout their breeding season, which spans from April to January. When an egg hatches, the newborn chick must fledge and shed its downy feathers to acquire a waterproof coat.
In 2022, sea ice broke up before some colonies finished fledging. Without waterproof feathers, fledging birds were unable to survive, as explained by Fretwell from the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge, England. Out of the approximately 10,000 breeding pairs in the region, it is estimated that around 850 chicks survived.
2023-08-24 10:00:00
Article from www.sciencenews.org
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