Maintenance of nest quality in Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae: an additional benefit to life in the center

Polar Biology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Morandini ◽  
Katie M. Dugger ◽  
Amélie Lescroël ◽  
Annie E. Schmidt ◽  
Grant Ballard
Polar Record ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 34 (191) ◽  
pp. 287-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Giese

AbstractIncreases in the number of people travelling to Antarctica has led to more frequent interactions between people and Antarctic wildlife, yet the effects of visitation on the animals has received limited scientific assessment. This study conducted experiments to measure the responses of incubating Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) to controlled human approaches to determine which approach distances and approach styles caused the least disturbance to the birds. Three minimum approach distances were tested: 30, 15, and 5 m. Approaching penguins to 30 m had no measurable effect on either their behaviour or heart rate, while approaching as close as 15 m significantly elevated their heart rates above resting, undisturbed levels even though there was no behavioural indication of this response. Approaching penguins to 5 m significantly interrupted the penguins' incubation behaviour, with the potential to cause egg-cooling. Approaches to 5 m elevated heart rates above those measured when birds were undisturbed, approached to either 15 or 30 m, or exposed to ‘natural’ disturbances (that is, other penguins or south polar skuas, Catheracta maccormicki). The study also identified certain Adelie penguin behaviours that may be indicative of disturbance in response to human visitation. People visiting breeding penguins could learn to identify these behaviours, so they can monitor and modify any effects of their visit.


1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 1001-1004 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Rogers ◽  
M. M. Bryden

The behaviour of leopard seals, Hydrurga leptonyx, feeding on Adélie penguins, Pygoscelis adeliae, was investigated between November 1993 and January 1994 in Prydz Bay, Antarctica. The seals were distributed along the fast-ice edge in locations where departing penguins congregated. Five different hunting techniques were observed, four of which were used through most of the summer. Individual leopard seals favoured specific hunting techniques. Hitherto, penguin hunting was believed to be carried out primarily by a few male seals; in this study, however, the predation observed involved many different individuals of both sexes. It is estimated that six leopard seals feeding in this area over a period of 120 days would consume 2.7% of the adult penguin population.


1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 221-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rory P. Wilson ◽  
Boris Culik ◽  
Dieter Adelung ◽  
N. Ruben Coria ◽  
Hugo J. Spairani

We noted whether Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae), when travelling over snow, walked or tobogganed according to gradient, snow friction, or snow penetrability. Both walking and tobogganing penguins reduced stride length and stride frequency, and thus speed, with increasing uphill gradient although tobogganing birds travelled faster and with fewer leg movements. The incidence of tobogganing increased with decreasing friction between penguin and snow. The percentage of penguins tobogganing was also highly positively correlated with increasing snow penetrability. Penguins walking on soft snow must expend additional energy to pull their feet through the snow, whereas tobogganing birds do not sink. It is to be expected that Adélie penguins would utilize the most energetically favourable form of travel which, under almost all conditions, appeared to be tobogganing. Although tobogganing appears to be energetically more efficient than walking, rubbing the feathers over snow increases the coefficient of friction in unpreeened plumage. We propose that a high incidence of tobogganing necessitates increased feather care and that the decision whether to walk or toboggan probably represents a balance between immediate energy expenditure and subsequent energy and time expended maintaining plumage condition.


Polar Biology ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. S. Davis ◽  
P. Dee Boersma ◽  
Gordon S. Court

Nature ◽  
1914 ◽  
Vol 93 (2337) ◽  
pp. 612-614
Author(s):  
G. MURRAY LEVICK

Polar Biology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana A. Juáres ◽  
Ricardo Casaux ◽  
Aldo Corbalán ◽  
Gabriel Blanco ◽  
G. Ariel Pereira ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-113
Author(s):  
Sergey Golubev

Antarctica is free of urbanisation, however, 40 year-round and 32 seasonal Antarctic stations operate there. The effects of such human settlements on Antarctic wildlife are insufficiently studied. The main aim of this study was to determine the organization of the bird population of the Mirny Station. The birds were observed on the coast of the Davis Sea in the Mirny (East Antarctica) from January 8, 2012 to January 7, 2013 and from January 9, 2015 to January 9, 2016. The observations were carried out mainly on the Radio and Komsomolsky nunataks (an area of about 0.5 km). The duration of observations varied from 1 to 8 hours per day. From 1956 to 2016, 13 non-breeding bird species (orders Sphenisciformes, Procellariiformes, Charadriiformes) were recorded in the Mirny. The South polar skuas (Catharacta maccormicki) and Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) form the basis of the bird population. South polar skuas are most frequently recorded at the station. Less common are Brown skuas (Catharacta antarctica lonnbergi) and Adélie penguins. Adélie penguins, Wilson's storm petrels (Oceanites oceanicus), South polar and Brown skuas are seasonal residents, the other species are visitors. Adélie penguins, Emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri), Macaroni (Eudyptes chrysolophus) and Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica), Wilson's storm petrels, South polar and Brown skuas interacted with the station environment, using it for comfortable behavior, feeding, molting, shelter from bad weather conditions, and possible breeding. South polar and Brown skuas tend to be attracted to the station, while other Antarctic bird species are indifferent to humans. Birds spend part of the annual cycle at the station or visit it with different frequency, but they cannot meet their ecological needs there all year round. The study improves our understanding of the regularities of the phenomenon of urbanization of the avifauna in the polar regions of the planet Earth. 


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