Comparative foraging and diving behaviour of coexisting breeding and non-breeding King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) in Tierra del Fuego, Chile

ABSTRACT

Breeding status directly affects the at-sea behaviour of seabirds, resulting in marked differences between breeding and non-breeding birds. In this study, we report for the first time the foraging and diving behaviour of coexisting incubating, courting and non-breeding King Penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) at a recently established colony in Tierra del Fuego, Chile, to determine differences in (1) the number and duration of the foraging trips, (2) time spent at sea and on land, and (3) diving performance and foraging success. We obtained data from four incubating, five courting and three non-breeding penguins equipped with time–depth recorders during November and December 2014. Incubating birds performed a single but long trip (8.1 ± 1.9 days), while courting birds performed one or two trips of intermediate duration (2.3 ± 0.8 days) and non-breeders made multiple short trips (0.6 ± 0.1 days). Courting birds spent a significantly greater proportion of their time on land than the other birds. Incubating birds performed the deepest and longest dives and had the highest diving efficiency, while non-breeders performed the shallowest and shortest dives and exhibited low diving efficiencies, suggesting that birds are utilising different foraging areas. These results indicate that incubating, courting and non-breeding King Penguins, although coexisting temporally at the same colony, differentially adjust their foraging and diving behaviour, most likely to accomplish their specific social and energetic demands.

KEYWORDS:

• Comparative behaviour
• diving behaviour
• foraging ecology
• King Penguin
• seabird foraging

Geolocation information

53°27′37″ S, 69°18′41″ W.

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to the owners of the Parque Pingüino Rey, Cecilia Durán and Alejandro Fernández for their kindness, hospitality and help along the way, and to Claudia Godoy, scientific coordinator at Parque Pingüino Rey, for facilitating the fieldwork and arranging research permits through Resolución Exenta No. 3199 from the Chilean Undersecretary for Fisheries. Luis, Nadia, Maite and Julieta helped at various stages of the fieldwork. We appreciate the work from anonymous reviewers in improving several versions of this manuscript (except for one who never responded and considerably delayed the review process). Financial support was provided by generous donations to the Antarctic Research Trust from Zoo Zürich, Zoo-Verein Wuppertal, the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Bank Vontobel, Ruedi Bless Background Tours, Guido and Rita Heule and Hans Ulrich Schneebeli. Further financial support was provided by Liselotte and Bruno Baltensberger, Thomas Bazzigher, Erika Bodmer, Doris Brennwald, Thomas Bucheli, Peter and Carmen Einstein, Rudi Glockshuber, Beatrix and Walter Grimm, Dorothea and Heinz Huber, Elisabeth Lübke, Hugo and Katharina Mathys-Bruhin, Margrit and Herbert Ochsenbein, Rudolf Pauli, Urs Romer, Rose Marie and Hans Joachim Salamin Fulde, Verena and Erwin Sarbach, Katharina Schmidt, Annemarie and Rudolf Schriber, Inge and Albert Sicker, Samuel and Dora Spreng, Jürg and Ingrid Spross, Albert Stähli, Gisela and Rudolf Straub, the Sturm family, Raik Szelenko and Janine Wetter. A.S. dedicates this paper in loving memory of Camilo.