El Niño displaces South American seabirds to Panama, Audubon reports

The warming Pacific waters associated with El Niño are already affecting marine life, with seabirds from South America increasingly appearing in Panama. Rosabel Miró, executive director of Audubon Panama, reported that birdwatchers observed two Peruvian boobies in early June near Panama City's Causeway. This species is not native to Panamanian waters.

Miró expressed concern, noting similar occurrences during past El Niño events. She explained that the warming Humboldt Current forces the fish these birds feed on to move to deeper, cooler waters. "When these waters warm up, due to El Niño, the fish species they eat, which are usually very near the surface, begin to become scarce," she said.

Many seabirds cannot dive deep enough to reach these displaced fish, leading to malnutrition and forcing them to seek food elsewhere. Miró warned that these birds might be found exhausted or starving on Panamanian beaches and coastal areas. "Many of those that will come to Panama, we will find them on the coast exhausted or starving, not eating well, flying and flying and flying and not finding food," she stated.

The arrival of these birds in unusual conditions serves as an alert to the ongoing alterations in marine ecosystems. Miró also cautioned that more frequent El Niño events could hinder the recovery of some bird populations. "Many species will begin to reduce their population numbers because they will not have enough time to recover, if you have Niño after Niño very frequently," she affirmed.

“

Ya reportamos dos piqueros peruanos, especies de aves marinas que no tienen que estar aquí en Panamá. Panamá no es parte de su distribución.