Validation and welfare assessment of flipper-mounted time-depth recorders for monitoring penguins in zoos and aquariums
The time that penguins devote to aquatic behaviors likely has important implications for their welfare in zoos and aquariums. For decades, field researchers have used time-depth recorders (TDRs) to understand the behavior of penguins at sea. However, zoos and aquariums have rarely used these tools, and wearing devices can potentially affect animals negatively by causing […]
Geographic variation in beak colouration in gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua
Ornamental colouration is often due to carot-enoid pigments and varies inter- and intra-specifically. This paper reports on variation in beak colour of the gentoo penguin, Pygoscelis papua, corresponding to different geographical locations along a latitudinal gradient in the Antarctic Peninsula (from King George Island (62815 0 S– 58837 0 W) to Ronge´Island (64840 0 S–62840 […]
Activity rhythms at a gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) colony at Cierva Point, Antarctic Peninsula
We studied activity rhythms at a gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) colony at Cierva Point, Antarctic Peninsula, during the 1992-93 summer. We counted the number of penguins crossing a specific point on their route to and from the colony. Penguins showed a strong daily rhythm of activity, with a two-peak pattern for those leaving the colony […]
Acoustic systems are adapted to breeding ecologies: individual recognition in nesting penguins
In all species of penguins studied to date, the display call, or parental call, has been demonstrated experimentally to facilitate identification between mates and between chicks and parents. We investigated parent–chick recognition in two nesting species, the Ade´lie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae, and the gentoo penguin, P. papua. Through playback experiments, we tested the capacity of […]