The sight of hundreds of dead short-tailed shearwaters lying on the beaches of Sydney must have come as a shock to people. They are migratory birds and were on their way back to southern Australia from Alaska. It is an 8,700 mile (14,000km) journey across the Pacific. In the opinion of experts, the deaths occurred from lack of food. This could be another effect of Climate change. These birds survive on the krill and other fish whose numbers might have reduced due to a rise in sea temperatures. It seems the arrival of these birds has gone down drastically this year.

That is the observation of an official of BirdLife Warrnambool.

Daily Mail UK says BirdLife Australia has described it as a "crisis." They attribute it to an increase in temperatures of the water. As a result, the fish are avoiding the shallows and the shearwaters suffer from a shortage of food. This is likely to result in more deaths. Obviously, things look dire for the birds. They depend on nature and the answer might lie in finding a way to control climate change. Many people feel that all concerned must rise to the occasion and take necessary action to control factors that increase the temperatures of water.

Situation is bad in Alaska also

The annual arrival of short-tailed shearwaters in Victoria is usually around 30,000 but this year there is hardly half that number.

As revealed on the website of BirdLife, the situation is deteriorating. Alaska is facing a rise in sea temperatures for the fifth consecutive year. There is a shortage of food for the shearwaters and dead birds are washing up along the beaches. It is an indication of the health of planet Earth and a wake-up call to save the planet from disaster, some experts feel.

Daily Mail UK adds that the US wildlife authorities confirm the birds were victims of starvation. They have described the deaths as “a series of catastrophic die-offs.” It could be the proverbial tip of the iceberg because climate change is a controversial topic.

Some people think that everyone should realize its long-term effects and not ignore the issue.

Death of shearwaters en-masse is a serious matter

According to AU News, the dead shearwaters on the iconic beaches of Sydney rang alarm bells among bird lovers. Bondi beach was one of the beaches and the dead birds came as a shock to many. These birds return from Alaska to breed and the journey is a long one. Some of them die due to the exhaustion but the loss this year is unprecedented and a matter of concern. The birds that have finally landed are weak and not in any condition to breed. This could have a cascading effect. An expert believes climate change is responsible for the situation. The temperature rise in Alaska has decimated the food supply of the birds. In Australia, the number of birds in breeding colonies are far below expectations.
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