Avaliação do estado de saúde de pinguins-de-Magalhães (Spheniscus magellanicus Forster 1781) encalhados no Espírito Santo e no Rio de Janeiro entre 2012 e 2013

Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) are seabirds native to southern South America, nesting along the coast of Argentina, Chile and the Falkland/Malvinas Islands. During winter, these penguins swim along the South American continental shelf seeking for prey, reaching the coast of Brazil. This study examines health and rehabilitation records of Magellanic penguins received at the Institute of Research and Rehabilitation of Marine Animals (IPRAM), aiming to identify characteristics and patterns in individual parameters that may contribute to our understanding of the ecological mechanisms underlying their stranding on the Brazilian coast. The records of 494 Magellanic penguins rescued in 2012 and 2013 from the North of Espirito Santo state (Conceicao da Barra) to the center of Rio de Janeiro state (Saquarema) were examined. The study area was divided into four regions: North (Conceicao da Barra a Aracruz), Greater Vitoria (Fundao a Guarapari), Center (Anchieta a Macae) and Lagos (Rio das Ostras a Marica). Only ten penguins were admitted with adult feathering, all others presented juvenile plumage. Only seven penguins were oiled upon admission (1.4%), four in 2012 and three in 2013. Penguins were rescued from June to March, but the vast majority was rescued between July and November. The number of animals rescued in each region was not homogeneous throughout the wintering season, as penguins rescued at the Lagos region had a tendency to be rescued later in the season, from September to November, whereas the penguins from the remaining regions were more frequently rescued from July to September. Most penguins were in poor body condition at the time of admission to the center, showing signs of hypothermia, prostration and pale oral mucosa. A latitudinal pattern was identified in the body condition, body mass, behavioral score, oral mucosa color and body temperature of the studied penguins, with individuduals rescured from the Lagos region and Center had better health parameters than individuals rescued from the Greater Vitoria and North regions. This finding may be partly explained by the longer interval that usually occurred between the rescue at the Lagos Region and the admission at IPRAM, since it is possible that only the penguins with better vital parameters survived long enough to be delivered to IPRAM. Furthermore, it is likely that the Cabo Frio upwelling at the Lagos region leads to favorable oceanographic conditions that result in greater prey availability for penguins, contributing to their better health status. In conclusion, the results of this study corroborate the interpretation that the stranding of Magellanic penguins in the southeast coast of Brazil is largely the result of a debilitated health state and subnutrition that, in turn, is the result of a difficulty in obtaining prey in quantity and quality sufficient to supply their energetic demands