Daily nest attendance and breeding performance in the little penguin eudyptula minor at Phillip Island, Australia

Abstract

The daily attendance patterns of Little Penguins Eudyptula minor were investigated for 55 nests on Phillip Island, Australia during the pre-breeding (winter), egg-laying, incubation and guard periods of the 1995/ 96 season. Birds were identified by transponder tags which were subcutaneously implanted between the scapulae. Males spent significantly longer in the colony (15 days) than did females (11 days) before egg laying. Both males and females remained ashore for 5.0 days over their laying period. Eggs were incubated for 35.5 days (range 31-40 days, n = 48 nests). Incubation shifts lasted 3.4 days on average and the number of foraging trips averaged 5.6 trips per bird. After hatching parents guarded their chicks for a total of 14.5 days. Successful parents started breeding earlier, had shorter incubation shifts and undertook more foraging trips than did failed birds during both incubation and chick-guard periods. The later a Little Penguin started to breed the poorer was its breeding performance.