Dead in their nests or washed ashore: why thousands of seabirds are dying en masse

The climate crisis is bringing extreme heat, changing ocean currents and intensifying storms – and it’s dealing a devastating blow to one of the most threatened groups of birds in the world

Twenty years ago, David Grémillet, a seabird ecologist, watched in dismay as a heatwave hit a breeding colony of Cape gannets in Lambert’s Bay, South Africa, causing dozens of birds to keel over. An unseasonably hot wind sent temperatures to 40C (104F), too intense even for the heat-adapted birds.

While guarding their nests, they baked in the heat, says Grémillet, a researcher at the National Centre for Scientific Research in Montpellier, France. He and his colleague waded into the colony, picking up listless gannets and tossing them into the sea to cool down. Their frantic attempts saved a few, but in just under an hour, 100 birds died.

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