Global warming sees predator gulls thrive and pose threat to penguins

Magdalena Island, near Chile's southern tip, is a natural paradise for tens of thousands of penguins that come every year to breed.

Yet global warming could threaten the long-term survival of the species, say experts at the island nature reserve in the Strait of Magellan, about 50 kilometres from the city of Punta Arenas.

The island is home to 22 bird species - 11 that nest all the year round and 11 seasonal visitors - including Magellanic penguins.

About 23,000 tourists a year make the pilgrimage to Los Pinguinos Natural Monument, a protected area comprising tiny Marta Island and windswept Magdalena Island.

The penguins' main predators were aggressive seabirds called skuas and Dominican gulls, which feed on penguin eggs and young, says Roberto Fernandez, a ranger at the site.

Right now, the population of these predators was growing.