California Seabird Die-Off Worsens as El Niño Follows Months-Long Marine Heat Wave
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 1
California Seabird Die-Off Worsens as El Niño Follows Months-Long Marine Heat Wave
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 1
Summary
Scientists and volunteers are finding growing numbers of dead, emaciated seabirds along California beaches, with pelicans, loons, grebes and cormorants among species starving after food supplies collapsed near shore.
Record ocean warmth has shrunk the cold, nutrient-rich surface band that supports krill, anchovies and sardines; NOAA says the coastal heat wave has persisted for about a year, only the third such long-lasting event on record.
Three Scripps coastal monitoring stations broke temperature records for 40 days or more this year, and offshore gliders found southern California heat anomalies comparable to the 2023 El Niño even before this year's El Niño formed.
Rehabilitation centers treated hundreds of weakened birds this spring, while state officials said many carcasses were young and malnourished, mostly testing negative for avian flu and sometimes showing infections tied to starvation.
Scientists warn the new El Niño could intensify disruption into 2027, recalling the 2013-15 'blob' and El Niño overlap that ultimately killed an estimated 4 million common murres in Alaska.
Are California's seabirds starving from a historic heatwave, or is something else emptying the ocean of their food?
A 'Godzilla' El Niño is forming. Could it trigger a marine collapse worse than anything seen before?
As ocean heatwaves become the new normal, are our strategies to protect marine life already obsolete?
California’s 2026 Seabird Die-Off: Record Mortality Linked to Marine Heatwave and El Niño Threatens Entire Coastline
Overview
In 2026, California’s coast is facing a severe seabird die-off, with an unusual and alarming number of dead birds, especially cormorants and pelicans, washing ashore. Wildlife experts report that many birds are severely emaciated, showing signs of starvation and distress, and some die rapidly after reaching land. The crisis is linked to a prolonged marine heatwave and a strong El Niño, which have reduced the availability of key prey like anchovies and sardines. As a result, starving pelicans are venturing into unusual places and sustaining injuries, while rehabilitation centers are overwhelmed by the number of birds needing urgent care.