The popularity, plight and poop of penguins - Dyan deNapoli

企鵝的人氣、困境與糞便 - Dyan deNapoli

譯者: Chingwen Kao 審譯者: Marssi Draw

Penguins have long captured

企鵝深深擄獲

the imagination and the hearts

全世界大人小孩的

of people the world over.

想像與喜愛。

But while popular culture

主流文化普遍

depicts them as clumsy, adorable birds

將企鵝描繪成笨拙、可愛

with endlessly abundant populations,

且數量龐大的鳥類。

the truth is that penguins are exceedingly graceful,

事實上企鵝相當的優雅，

often ornery,

有時脾氣還很差，

and their populations are in rapid free fall.

而牠們的數量正急速減少。

Their real life situation is far more precarious

牠們面臨的危機比我們

than people think.

想像中還嚴重，

And if current trends do not change,

若情況遲遲無法改善，

it may not be long

不久後

before penguins can only be found in movies.

我們就只能從電影裡看到企鵝了。

There are many things about penguins

企鵝擁有許多

that make them odd birds, so to speak.

「異於常鳥」的特徵。

For one thing,

首先，

they are one of the few bird species that cannot fly,

牠們是少數不會飛的鳥類之一，

having evolved from flight-capable birds

約莫在六千萬年前

about 60 million years ago.

由會飛的鳥類演化而來。

Surprisingly, their closest living relative

令人驚訝的是現有生物裡與企鵝

is the albatross,

親緣關係最近的是信天翁，

a bird known for its enormous wingspan

而信天翁廣為人知的地方 正是巨大的羽翼

and extraordinary soaring abilities.

與優異的翱翔能力。

It may seem strange

這樣說可能很怪，

that losing the ability to fly

但不會飛

would be an evolutionary advantage,

確實有其演化上的優勢，

but the penguin's short, flipper-like wings

企鵝短、如鰭般的翅膀

and solid bones

和結實的骨架

allow them to swim faster and dive deeper

讓牠們比世界上其他鳥類

than any other bird on Earth,

游得更快、潛得更深，

filling an ecological niche that no other bird can.

在生態系統中扮演了 其他鳥類無法取代的角色。

Penguins inhabit the southern hemisphere,

企鵝棲息在南半球，

being one of the few bird species

是少數能在

able to breed in the coldest environments.

極寒環境裡繁殖的鳥類。

But contrary to popular belief,

但與一般觀點相反，

they are not restricted to cold regions

企鵝並非只能在寒帶地區生存，

nor are there any at the North Pole.

北極也不是沒有企鵝。

In fact, only 4 of the 18 penguin species

事實上，在18種企鵝品種裡，

regularly live and breed in Antarctica.

只有4種固定在南極洲棲息、繁殖，

Most penguins live in subtemperate

大部分企鵝生活在亞溫帶

to temperate regions.

至溫帶地區，

And the Galapagos penguin even lives and breeds

而加島環企鵝甚至在南美洲沿海

right near the equator

靠近赤道地區

off the coast of South America.

生活與繁殖。

They are also found in South Africa,

企鵝亦分布在南非、

Namibia,

納米比亞、

Australia,

澳洲、

and New Zealand,

紐西蘭

as well as on a number of islands

及一些位於

in the southern Atlantic,

南大西洋、

Pacific,

太平洋、

Indian,

and Antarctic Oceans.

印度洋

及南極海的島嶼上。

Although penguins spend 75% of their lives at sea,

企鵝一生有75%的時間在海上渡過，

they must come to shore every year

但每年必上岸進行

to reproduce and to molt their feathers.

繁殖與換毛。

They do this in a variety of places,

牠們上岸的地點很多，

from the temporary ice sheets of the Antarctic

舉凡南極洲的臨時冰層、

to the beaches of South Africa and Namibia,

南非及納米比亞的海灘、

to the rocky shores of subantarctic islands,

次南極島嶼的岩岸，

to the craggy lava surfaces in the Galapagos.

及加拉巴哥群島上崎嶇的火山岩區。

Different penguin species

不同的企鵝品種

have different nesting practices.

有不同的築巢方式，

Some dig burrows into dirt, sand, or dried guano;

有些在泥土、沙地 或乾的鳥糞層上挖洞，

some nest in tussock grasses;

有些則在草叢裡築巢，

some build nests out of small rocks, sticks, and bones;

也有利用石頭、樹枝及骨頭來築巢，

while others don't build any nests at all.

有些甚至連巢都不用。

Although most penguins lay a clutch of two eggs,

大部分企鵝一次下兩顆蛋，

the two largest species,

但體型最大的兩種企鵝

the King and the Emperor,

國王企鵝與帝王企鵝

lay a single egg

一次只下一顆蛋，

that they incubate on top of their feet

因此牠們在腳上孵蛋，

for approximately two months.

孵蛋期約兩個月左右。

Unfortunately, 15 of the 18 penguin species

不幸的是，在18種企鵝裡，

are currently listed as threatened,

有15種已被列為受威脅、

near-threatened,

近威脅

or endangered

或瀕危物種，

by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

這是出自世界自然保護聯盟的資料。

In the last several decades,

在過去幾十年間，

we have seen the world populations

我們發現絕大部分

of most penguin species decline

的企鵝品種

by up to 90%,

其數量減少90%左右。

with two of them,

其中兩種──

the Yellow-eyed and Galapagos penguins,

黃眼企鵝及加環島企鵝，

down to just a few thousand birds.

數量僅剩幾千隻。

Penguins are an indicator species,

企鵝是指標生物，

the proverbial "canary in the coal mine."

就像俗話說煤礦坑裡的金絲雀，

Simply put, if penguins are dying,

簡單來說，沒了企鵝，

it means our oceans are dying.

代表海洋環境也壞得差不多了。

And sadly, most of this decline is attributable

遺憾的是企鵝數量減少

to human activities.

大部分可歸咎於人類活動。

Historically, penguins have had to deal

企鵝一直以來不斷的面臨

with multiple disturbances.

各種騷擾。

The mass collection of penguin eggs

人類大量的採集企鵝蛋

and the harvesting

並挖取

of the seabird guano they nested in

牠們築巢時所需的海鳥糞，

caused the dramatic decline

導致多種企鵝數量

of several penguin species.

急速下降。

If you're wondering

你可能會想

what humans would want with seabird poop,

我們挖海鳥糞要做什麼？

it was used as an ingredient

鳥糞曾被用做

in fertilizer and in gunpowder,

肥料及火藥的原料，

being so valuable

相當珍貴，

that in the 19th century,

因此在19世紀時

it was known as white gold.

還被稱做白金。

Current threats to penguins include the destruction

企鵝目前面臨的威脅包括

of both marine and terrestrial habitats,

海洋及陸地的棲息地遭到破壞、

introduced predators,

外來的掠食者、

entrapment in fishing nets,

受困於魚網

and pollution from plastics and chemicals.

及塑膠與化學物質的汙染。

There have also been several large-scale oil spills

在過去五十年間，曾發生數次

over the past 50 years

大規模漏油事件，

that have killed or impacted

造成全世界數以萬計的企鵝

tens of thousands of penguins around the world.

死亡或受到重大影響。

But the two major threats to penguins today

目前企鵝主要面臨兩項威脅：

are global warming

全球氣候暖化

and overfishing.

與過度捕撈。

Global warming impacts penguins in multiple ways,

全球氣候暖化對企鵝造成很多影響，

from interrupting the production of krill

南極洲海冰量的的減少

due to decreased sea ice formation in the Antarctic,

阻礙了磷蝦的繁殖，

to increasing the frequency

風暴的頻率

and severity of storms

與強度不斷增加，

that destroy nests,

摧毀了企鵝的巢。

to shifting the cold water currents

海洋裡冷水流向的轉變

carrying the penguins' prey too far away

將企鵝的獵物帶向他方，

from penguin breeding and foraging grounds.

遠離企鵝繁殖與覓食的場域。

Even though humans

人類或許是

may be the greatest threat to penguins,

企鵝最大的威脅，

we are also their greatest hope.

但也是牠們最大的希望。

Many research and conservation projects

許多研究與保育計畫

are underway to protect penguin habitats

正致力於保護企鵝棲地、

and restore vulnerable populations.

復育瀕臨絕種物種。

With a little help from us

我們可付出一點努力、

and some changes in the practices

改變以往會對地球與海洋

that impact our planet and oceans,

造成危害的行為模式，

there is hope that our tuxedo-clad friends

這樣我們才有機會在下個世紀

will still be around in the next century.

看到這群穿燕尾服的朋友。