Starvation behind unusual mass kill

Jessica Benton
STARVATION is to blame for an unusually large number of birds washing up dead on the region’s beaches, according to foreshore managers.
Barwon Coast Committee of Management’s Bob Jordan said shearwaters, or mutton birds, were washing up dead or dying along Victoria’s south-west coastline.
“We’ve received advice from the Department of Sustainability and Environment that there’s an extensive spread of dead birds from Portland right through to Ocean Grove,” he said.
“They’re washing up the whole way along the south-west coast.”
Mr Jordan said starvation was a seasonal threat to mutton birds but the scale of this year’s kill appeared out of the ordinary.
“It’s a natural occurrence and happens every year but there seems to be a larger amount this year.”
Mr Jordan said the department was investigating why so many mutton birds were dying this year.
He explained that storms often hit the birds during migration, forcing them into the sea where many were too weak to take flight again.
Once in the ocean the birds often drowned then washed up on shore.
Mr Jordan said foreshore managers usually left the carcasses on beaches.
“We normally let nature take its course,” he said.
Department south-west biodiversity manager Grant Hull said DSE was monitoring the numbers, species and locations of birds coming ashore.
Recent onshore winds meant more dead birds could show up on beaches, he said.
Mr Hull said DSE wanted reports of large numbers of dead shearwaters, other seabirds or fish to the customer service centre on toll-free number 136 186.