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About 500 of the black-and-white birds have been found just in the last 10
days on Peruibe, Praia Grande and Itanhaem beaches in Sao Paulo state, said
Thiago do Nascimento, a biologist at the Peruibe Aquarium.
Most were Magellan penguins migrating north from Argentina, Chile and the
Falkland Islands in search of food in warmer waters.
Many are not finding it: Autopsies done on several birds revealed their
stomachs were entirely empty — indicating they likely starved to death,
Nascimento said.
Scientists are investigating whether strong currents and colder-than-normal
waters have hurt populations of the species that make up the penguins' diet,
or whether human activity may be playing a role.
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