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Diving behaviour of chinstrap penguins at Seal Island

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 May 2004

John L. Bengtson ,
Donald A. Croll  and
Michael E. Goebel
John L. Bengtson
Affiliation:
National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service/NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115 USA
Donald A. Croll
Affiliation:
National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service/NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115 USA
Michael E. Goebel
Affiliation:
National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service/NOAA, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., BIN C15700, Seattle, WA 98115 USA
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Abstract

Diving behaviour of chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica) was studied in four adults brooding chicks on Seal Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. During foraging trips to sea, chinstrap penguins made shallow, short duration dives almost continuously, for the most part within 50 m of the surface. Diving effort was concentrated during the daylight hours (10h00-15h00), although a second peak in effort was seen around midnight (22h00-02h00). These peaks were possibly due to the constraints of visual location of prey, chick provisioning, or the need to take advantage of diurnal changes in krill swarm densities or behaviour. It was estimated that most effort was concentrated 3-20 km from shore. Dive depth and duration averaged 31.0 m (± 26.3m) and 72s(± 36s), respectively. Maximum dive depth and duration were 121m and 180s, respectively.

Keywords

chinstrap penguindivingforagingseabirdkrillAntarcticaSouth Shetland Islands
Type
Papers—Life Sciences and Oceanography
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 5 , Issue 1 , March 1993 , pp. 9 - 15
Copyright
© Antarctic Science Ltd 1993

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