DOCSLIB.ORG

The Humboldt Penguin in Peru Coppelia Hays

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Humboldt Penguin in Peru Coppelia Hays The Humboldt penguin in Peru Coppelia Hays Numbers of Humboldt penguins Humboldt penguins are endemic to the area Spheniscus humboldti, which live on the associated with the cold, nutrient-rich Humboldt coast and islands of Chile and Peru, have Current which sweeps up the coast of Chile and Peru. During historical times their numbers have been declining since the mid-1800s. Ex- diminished, although no factual data are avail- tracting guano for fertiliser has damaged able to estimate the magnitude of the decline. their breeding sites; they have been ex- Evidence for historical decline is based solely on ploited for food and skins and captured anecdotal accounts. Murphy's (1936) Oceanic for pets or zoos; they are incidentally Birds of South America remains the primary source of information on the general biology of caught in fishing nets and recent over- the Humboldt penguin. Even as early as the fishing may have caused a food shortage. 1930s, Murphy mentioned the vast diminution of The author surveyed the Humboldt pen- penguins on the islands of Peru. Because little is guins in Peru in 1981 and here discusses known of this species in the wild, a preliminary the conservation measures that are being survey was initiated to assess the present distri- taken. bution of the Humboldt penguin and to provide a 92 OryxVoll8No2 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.229, on 26 Sep 2021 at 08:57:02, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605300018767 quantitative estimate of population numbers only be entered when the sea was calm. As a along the Peruvian coastline. result, the majority of cave counts included only penguins seen at the entrance. Moreover, these Distribution and abundance penguins are very timid creatures and will quickly The range of the Humboldt penguin, as indicated flee when approached from a distance. One must by the literature, extends from islets off Algar- also take into account that the colonies are subject robo, Chile (33°20'S) northward to Lobos de to diurnal fluctuations in numbers. All of the Tierra, Peru (6°30'). However, I found a colony above factors combine to produce an under- on Isla Foca (5°12'S), the northernmost island in estimate of numbers. Peru. I was not able to verify whether the birds breed there, although fishermen affirmed that The largest rookeries were found at Punta San they did. This discovery extends their northern Juan and Pachacamac Island. The cave at distribution by 144 km. Pachacamac offers natural protection from human poachers since there is no easy access by Based on the survey and census data provided by sea or land. At Punta San Juan, a guano point, Pesca-Peru, the Peruvian agency responsible for guards protect the rookery from poachers. In fact, the protection and exploitation of the guano it was the only guano site where the main guard islands and mainland collection sites (guano was found to have a keen interest in protecting points), Humboldt penguins are found on 17 of wildlife. There is also a concrete wall built around the 27 guano islands that they supervise. Popu- lation estimates for selected islands and mainland promontories based on personal observations (Table 1) and on census data provided by Pesca- Table 2. Census of Humboldt penguins for nine guano islands Peru (Table 2) are presented. The numbers and one mainland point provided by Pesca-Peru in 1981. provided by Pesca-Peru are rough estimates and Locality March 1981 July 1981 December 1981 as such can only be used as an index of abun- dance. Personal observations are based on direct Macabi Island 60 60 60 head counts when fewer than 100 birds were Mazorca Island 120 200 100 present, or on a count of the number of birds in an Chinchas Islands 10 — 26 area multiplied by the estimated total area when North, Central, South Ballestas Island 8 — 15 more than 100 birds were present. At the 13 sites La Vieja Island 0 0 0 that I surveyed (Figure 1), a total of 2653 Santa Rosa Island 0 0 0 penguins were observed. These counts include San Juan 2220 5645 penguins on roost rocks, in caves, and at sea. Pachacamac Island 750 650 435 Caves were difficult to reach and could usually Total 3168 910 6281 Table 1. Census of Humboldt penguins for 10 islands and three mainland points surveyed between July 7 and August 5 1981. A total of 2653 penguins was observed. Date Locality Adults Chicks Juveniles Total July 1981 Sechura Peninsula* 68 8 5 81 July 1981 Macabi Island 56 6 10 72 July 1981 Mazorca Island 8 0 0 8 July 1981 Chinchas Islands 25 0 10 35 North, Central, South July 1981 Ballestas Island 9 0 0 9 July 1981 San Gallan Island* 111 3 2 116 July 1981 La Vieja Island 8 1 0 9 July 1981 Santa Rosa Island 0 0 0 0 July 1981 San Juan t t t 2000 August 1981 Atico 3 0 0 3 August 1981 Pachacamac Island t t t 320 *Not a guano collection site. tPresent but not quantitatively estimated. Humboldt penguin in Peru 93 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.229, on 26 Sep 2021 at 08:57:02, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605300018767 the promontory to safeguard the area from ter- They nest in burrows, caves and natural crevices, restrial predators—mainly the desert fox among fallen boulders and occasionally in Dusicyon sechurae. Due to these protective exposed sites. The population inhabiting the measures, the Humboldt penguin appears to be Sechura Desert coastline (6°S) nests only in proliferating in these two areas. naturally protected areas. The population at Punta San Juan (15°21.6'S), however, utilises A conservative estimate of the population in Peru exposed nest sites in addition to caves and consists of 4500-6000 Humboldt penguins. burrows, maybe because it is cooler; the incident Data from monthly censuses by biologists at the radiation is higher at 6° latitude than at 15°. Other Paracas National Reserve from 1976 to 1980, for factors for the surface nesting could be protection a cave inhabited by penguins, suggest an overall from terrestrial predators (by the wall) and nature decrease in population size. Trend data are not of the terrain. available for other colonies. However, these may be affected by the same unknown factors and The penguins seem to have traditional roost rocks may also be declining. where they are found in association with guanay cormorants Phalacrocorax bougainvillii, Peru- Nest sites and predators vian boobies Sula variegata and Peruvian Humboldt penguins breed on offshore guano pelicans Pelecanus thagus. In caves and on islands and along the undisturbed mainland. beaches they are found with sealions Otaria /I MAsP OF J~^S / PERU _X~^^^ k(VTALARA^ ^- _ r ^NPIMENTEL S 2—\CHICAMA *C \cHIMB0TE \ Pacific Ocean \ \HUACHO N U^—» \LIMA \ 1 Sechura Peninsula 4 — •'v \ 2 Macabi Island ( 3 Mazorca Island _ LH^^vvJ pisro 4 Pachacamac Island 89^-l > 5 Chincha Island North l0^ \ / 6 Chincha Island Central 12—^* S 7 Chincha Island South 8 Ballestas Island l3 9 San Gallon Island ^^^XlL0 / 10 La Vieja Island Santa Rosa Island II 0 100 200 300 m ^| 12 Punta San Juan 1 i S r1 ' Figure 1. Areas surveyed in 1981 for Humboldt 13 Punta Atico 0 100 300 km penguins along the Peruvian coastline. 94 0iyxVo!18No2 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.35.229, on 26 Sep 2021 at 08:57:02, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605300018767 flavescens and fur seals Arctocephalus australis.through a Ministerial Resolution, classified the At Pachacamac island, red-legged cormorants Humboldt penguin as a vulnerable species that Phalacrocorax gaimardi nest on the periphery of may become endangered because of excessive the Humboldt penguin colony. hunting, habitat destruction, and other factors. Article 30 of the Ordinance for Conservation of The Peruvian gull Larus belcheri preys on un- Flora and Fauna prohibits subsistence, sport, or \ guarded penguin eggs and possibly on chicks. commercial hunting of the guano birds, including The kelp gull Larus dominicanus probably also the penguin. In addition, Article 12 of the feeds on penguin eggs and chicks. I found the Ordinance prohibits exportation and hunting of desert fox to feed on the juveniles. Sealions and protected species except for scientific research or fur seals feed on other species of penguins, educational purposes. This prohibition of the although I have no evidence that they kill legal exportation of live penguins has thus safe- Humboldt penguins (Spellerberg, 1975). How- guarded at least 500 penguins annually. More- ever, I have observed sealions chasing penguins over, in 1981, the Humboldt penguin was listed in the water and charging at them on land. in Appendix I ('endangered' status) of the Con- vention on International Trade in Endangered Causes of decline Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which prohibits The initial decline of the Humboldt penguin international trade. In spite of the good intentions population began in the mid-1800s with the reflected in the regulations, additional enforce- intensive and destructive exploitation of the ment is necessary. guano islands of Peru. Guano was removed for use as a fertiliser, thus precluding its use by the Extensive research into the natural history of the penguins for burrowing.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus Humboldti Population in Chile: Counts of Moulting Birds, February 1999–2008
    Wallace & Araya: Humboldt Penguin population in Chile 107 HUMBOLDT PENGUIN SPHENISCUS HUMBOLDTI POPULATION IN CHILE: COUNTS OF MOULTING BIRDS, FEBRUARY 1999–2008 ROBERTA S. WALLACE1 & BRAULIO ARAYA2 1Milwaukee County Zoo, 10001 W. Blue Mound Road, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA ([email protected]) 2Calle Lima 193. Villa Alemana, V Región, Chile Received 19 August 2014, accepted 9 December 2014 SUMMARY WALLACE, R.S. & ARAYA, B. 2015. Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti population in Chile: counts of moulting birds, February 1999–2008. Marine Ornithology 43: 107–112 We conducted annual counts of moulting Humboldt Penguins roosting on the mainland coast and on offshore islands in north and central Chile during 1999–2008. The census area included the known major breeding colonies in Chile, where many penguins moult, as well as other sites. Population size was relatively stable across years, with an average of 33 384 SD 2 372 (range: 28 642–35 284) penguins counted, but the number of penguins found at any individual site could vary widely. Shifting penguin numbers suggest that penguins tend to aggregate to moult where food is abundant. While many of the major breeding sites are afforded some form of protected status, two sites with sizable penguin populations, Tilgo Island and Pájaros-1 Island, have no official protection. These census results provide a basis upon which future population trends can be compared. Key words: penguin, Spheniscus humboldti, census, Chile INTRODUCTION penguin taking less than three weeks to moult (Paredes et al. 2003). Penguins remain on land during moult, and they return to The Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti is a species endemic sea immediately after moulting (Zavalaga & Paredes 1997).
    [Show full text]
  • A New Home for Penguins a New Front Door to the Zoo
    A New Home for Penguins A New Front Door to the Zoo A new, state-of-the-art exhibit draws visitors directly into our mission, educating them about ennis Conner the plight of these enchanting, flightless birds and the actions people can take to save them. D Ryan Hawk AT A GLANCE HABITAT They are the zoo’s natural comedians, a delightful must- natural home. The exhibit also enhances the penguins’ lives Humboldt penguins live along the rugged see animal for visitors of all ages. Yet the penguins’ current with a state-of-the-art biofiltration and rain water harvest- coastline of Peru and Chile exhibit — originally built for seals and sea lions 60 years ing system that dramatically minimizes water loss. Because ago — is well below today’s standards for animal care and Humboldt penguins reside in coastal habitats, the new NUMBER conservation education. penguin exhibit will tell a compelling conservation story Only 10,000-12,000 remain in the wild that resonates with the marine-savvy, Pacific Northwest You can help build a stunning new, naturalistic home OPPORTUNITY specifically designed for penguins, inspiring our guests to community. A new state-of-the art, environmentally take conservation actions on their behalf! With a glass- And, what better way to meet the penguins than through friendly home for breeding endangered Humboldt penguins helps visitors learn wall, underwater viewing is a cornerstone of this signature a new entry to the zoo! Revolutionizing how we welcome how to make choices that keep marine exhibit,COMPLETED allowing guests to see these aquatic acrobats fly and serve our guests, this new “front door” will provide environments healthy while immersing visitors through water at up to 20 m.p.h.
    [Show full text]
  • Classroomsecrets.Com
    Penguins King Penguin Galapagos Penguin Penguins live in both hot and cold places in the This penguin species is the This penguin is the only Southern Hemisphere, the bottom half of the world, second largest. They have penguin to breed near the below the equator. They have wings but they can orange cheeks and look equator. They feed on not fly, so they use them as flippers. There are 17 similar to Emperor small fish like sardines. different species of penguin. penguins. King penguins do The Galapagos Penguin not make a nest, instead lays its eggs in crevices, All penguins forage for food in the sea. They have the female lays a single egg caves or a burrow to spines in their mouths to stop their prey (fish, squid which the male keeps warm protect them from getting and krill) from swimming away. in a pouch in his belly and too much heat from the balances it on his feet. sun. There are only 1000 Baby penguins are called chicks, born with very fluffy They live around the edges breeding pairs of these feathers and unable to go into the water until they of Antarctica and live on a penguins and so they are have grown their adult feathers. The parents hunt diet of mainly lanternfish at risk of extinction. for food, swallow it down and then bring it back up and squid. to feed to their chicks. Yellow-eyed Penguin Rockhopper Penguin Chinstrap Penguin This type of penguin can be There are three types of Chinstrap penguins have found in New Zealand and Rockhopper Penguin: Northern a black line across their has a band of yellow Rockhopper, Eastern cheeks that looks like a feathers on its head as well Rockhopper and Southern chinstrap.
    [Show full text]
  • Sentinels of the Ocean the Science of the World’S Penguins
    A scientific report from The Pew Charitable Trusts April 2015 Sentinels Of the Ocean The science of the world’s penguins Contents 1 Overview 1 Status of penguin populations 1 Penguin biology Species 3 22 The Southern Ocean 24 Threats to penguins Fisheries 24 Increasing forage fisheries 24 Bycatch 24 Mismatch 24 Climate change 25 Habitat degradation and changes in land use 25 Petroleum pollution 25 Guano harvest 26 Erosion and loss of native plants 26 Tourism 26 Predation 26 Invasive predators 26 Native predators 27 Disease and toxins 27 27 Protecting penguins Marine protected areas 27 Ecosystem-based management 29 Ocean zoning 29 Habitat protections on land 30 31 Conclusion 32 References This report was written for Pew by: Pablo García Borboroglu, Ph.D., president, Global Penguin Society P. Dee Boersma, Ph.D., director, Center for Penguins as Ocean Sentinels, University of Washington Caroline Cappello, Center for Penguins as Ocean Sentinels, University of Washington Pew’s environmental initiative Joshua S. Reichert, executive vice president Tom Wathen, vice president Environmental science division Becky Goldburg, Ph.D., director, environmental science Rachel Brittin, officer, communications Polita Glynn, director, Pew Marine Fellows Program Ben Shouse, senior associate Charlotte Hudson, director, Lenfest Ocean Program Anthony Rogers, senior associate Katie Matthews, Ph.D., manager Katy Sater, senior associate Angela Bednarek, Ph.D., manager Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank the many contributors to Penguins: Natural History and Conservation (University of Washington Press, 2013), upon whose scholarship this report is based. Used by permission of the University of Washington Press The environmental science team would like to thank Dee Boersma, Pablo “Popi” Borboroglu, and Caroline Cappello for sharing their knowledge of penguins by writing and preparing this report.
    [Show full text]
  • Changes in Abundance and Distribution of Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus Humboldti
    Vianna et al.: Abundance and distribution of Humboldt Penguin 153 CHANGES IN ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF HUMBOLDT PENGUIN SPHENISCUS HUMBOLDTI JULIANA A. VIANNA1, MARITZA CORTES2, BÁRBARA RAMOS3, NICOLE SALLABERRY-PINCHEIRA1,3, DANIEL GONZÁLEZ- ACUÑA4, GISELE P.M. DANTAS5, JOÃO MORGANTE6, ALEJANDRO SIMEONE3 & GUILLERMO LUNA-JORQUERA2 1Pontifícia Universidad Católica de Chile, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Vicuña MacKenna, 4860, Macul, Santiago, Chile ([email protected]) 2Universidad Católica del Norte, Coquimbo, Chile 3Universidad Andrés Bello, Facultad de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Santiago, Chile 4Universidad de Concepción, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Chillán, Chile 5Pontificia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil 6Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociencias, São Paulo, Brazil Received 26 July 2013, accepted 15 May 2014 SUMMARY VIANNA, J.A., CORTES, M., RAMOS, B., SALLABERRY-PINCHEIRA, N., GONZÁLEZ-ACUÑA, D., DANTAS, G.P.M., MORGANTE, J., SIMEONE, A. & LUNA-JORQUERA, G. 2014. Changes in abundance and distribution of Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti. Marine Ornithology 42: 153–159. Patterns of species abundance distribution (SAD) are driven by a given species’ physiology, life history attributes and environmental variables, and this is true of the Humboldt Penguin Spheniscus humboldti. Climate variability such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) has impacted this species and other marine fauna in the eastern South Pacific Ocean. After reviewing manuscripts and reports, we identified 80 Humboldt Penguin breeding colonies, distributed from La Foca Island (05°12′S, 81°12′W) in Peru to Metalqui Island (42°12′S, 74°09′W) in Chile, but reduced the number to 73 after fieldwork surveys in northern Chile.
    [Show full text]
  • Field Studies of Spheniscus Penguins DAVID CAMERON Duffy
    SPN August, 1991 Spheniscus Penguin Newsletter vol. 4, number 1 In this Issue The British and Irish Humboldt Studbook, 1990 1 Planning for the Future of North American Humboldts 1 Hand-rearing Humboldts at Sea World, San Diego 2 Building Better Nesting Sites for Spheniscus Penguins 8 A Survey of Spheniscus Field Studies 10 A Selected Bibliography of Spheniscus Penguins 16 This issue of SPN : The major articles in this issue, with the exception of 'Nesting Sites for Spheniscus Penguins/" are from papers presented at the Spheniscus Workshop held at the AAZPA Regional Conference in Sacramento, California, in March 1990. Other papers presented at that workshop were included in the November, 1990 SPN, and it was intended to include all remaining papers in this issue. Unforhmate realities of printing costs/ however, forced a change in plan (see below for information on contributing toward production costs of this publication). Papers remaining, for our next issue, are: "Avian Malaria/" "Incubation Behavior Patterns in Adelies/" "Molt Patterns of Black-footed Penguins," and "Diet, Feeding Regimen, and Growth Rates in Hand-reared Magellanic Chicks." Thanks to the authors and to the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, for permission to reprint these papers. Publication information: SPN Spheniscus Penguin Newsletter ISSN # 1045-0076 Indexed in Wildlife Review SPN is published twice aIUlUally, with financial support from the Portland Chapter of the American Association ofZoo Keepers, and the Metro Washington Park Zoo. Subscription is free, to those with a serious interest in Spheniscus penguins. Contributions toward printing and postage costs arewelcome (and tax-deductible in the US) ;please make checks payable to "Portland Chapter, AAZK," and send to the Editor at the address below.
    [Show full text]
  • Spheniscus Humboldti): Implications for Habitat Conservation
    PLOS ONE RESEARCH ARTICLE Effects of nest type and sex on blood saccharide profiles in Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti): Implications for habitat conservation 1 2 3 David J. Schaeffer , Jeffrey M. Levengood , Michael J. AdkessonID * 1 Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, United States of America, 2 Illinois Natural History Survey, Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States of America, 3 Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, Illinois, United States of America a1111111111 * [email protected] a1111111111 a1111111111 a1111111111 Abstract a1111111111 Reproductive success of endangered Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) colonies in Peru has been associated with nesting habitat type, presumably due to differences in environmental exposure and activity patterns that may affect energy demands and metabo- OPEN ACCESS lism. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry were used to determine serum concen- trations of 19 saccharides from 30 Humboldt penguins nesting at Punta San Juan, Peru in Citation: Schaeffer DJ, Levengood JM, Adkesson MJ (2020) Effects of nest type and sex on blood order to evaluate differences in metabolic state between penguins nesting in a sheltered saccharide profiles in Humboldt penguins burrow or crevice (n = 17) and those in exposed surface nests (n = 13). Univariate and multi- (Spheniscus humboldti): Implications for habitat variate statistical analyses identified serum saccharides (arabinose, maltose, glucose-6- conservation. PLoS ONE 15(5): e0233101. https:// phosphate, and levoglucosenone in particular) that were nest-dimorphic with substantial dif- doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233101 ferences between surface- and sheltered-nesting penguins.
    [Show full text]
  • First Gps-Tracks of Peruvian Diving-Petrels and Inca Terns in Souterhn Peru*
    FIRST GPS-TRACKS OF PERUVIAN DIVING-PETRELS AND INCA TERNS IN SOUTERHN PERU* Report presented to the Pacific Seabird Group Conservation Small-grant Program Carlos B. Zavalaga1, Joanna Alfaro-Shigueto2, Giacomo Dell’Omo3 1Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University. Sonoyama house 105, Sonoyama-cho 2-21- 1, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-0812, Japan. e-mail: [email protected] 2Asociación Pro-Delphinus, Octavio Bernal 572-5, Lima 11, Peru. University of Exeter, Center of Ecology and Conservation, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9EZ, UK. 3Ornis italica, Piazza Crati 15, 00199, Rome, Italy. March 2010 * Original Project Title: At-sea movements of Peruvian-Diving Petrels in Peru: Interaction with the commercial fisheries? Background Peruvian Diving-petrels (Pelecanoides garnotii, PDP) are endemic seabirds to the Humboldt Current breeding on islands off Peru and northern Chile (Murphy 1936). Habitat loss, human disturbance and poaching have been well-documented causes of population decline over the last 100 years (Coker 1919, Murphy 1936, Hays 1989, Jahncke and Goya 1998). In the last decades, it has been speculated that interactions between PDP and the commercial fishery is a main factor of PDP’s population decline through incidental by-catch (Garcia-Godos and Goya 2006, Birdlife International 2008). This species is essentially confined to the inshore islands of La Vieja and San Gallan, on the central coast of Peru (Fig.1), with approximately 13,000 breeding pairs in 1995-96 (Jahncke and Goya 1998). Recent estimates have revealed that the breeding population size in these two islands has increased to approximately 36,500 breeding pairs (Zavalaga and Alfaro 2009).
    [Show full text]
  • Penguins As Marine Sentinels Author(S): P
    Penguins as Marine Sentinels Author(s): P. Dee Boersma Source: BioScience, Vol. 58, No. 7 (July/August 2008), pp. 597-607 Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the American Institute of Biological Sciences Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1641/B580707 . Accessed: 10/10/2013 14:13 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. University of California Press and American Institute of Biological Sciences are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to BioScience. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 205.175.116.25 on Thu, 10 Oct 2013 14:13:07 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions Articles Penguins as Marine Sentinels P. DEE BOERSMA From the tropics to Antarctica, penguins depend on predictable regions of high ocean productivity where their prey aggregate. Increases in precipitation and reductions in sea ice associated with climate warming are affecting penguins. The largest breeding colony of Patagonian (Magellanic) penguins, at Punta Tombo, Argentina, had approximately 200,000 breeding pairs in October 2006—a decline of 22% since 1987. In the 1980s and 1990s, petroleum pollution was a major source of Patagonian penguin mortality.
    [Show full text]
  • Questions and Answers: 90-Day Petition Finding for 12 Species of Penguins
    Questions and Answers: 90-day Petition Finding for 12 Species of Penguins Q: What action is being taken today? A: On November 29, 2006, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity to list 12 species of penguins under the Endangered Species Act. The 12 proposed species live in a range of habitats in the Antarctic, sub- Antarctic, and southern oceans and include the Emperor Penguin, the largest penguin species, smaller species with circumpolar range, such as the rockhopper, several species endemic to New Zealand and Australia and coastal species of Peru, Chile and South Africa. The petition asks that seven of the species be listed as endangered and five as threatened. Section 4 of the Endangered Species Act requires that the Service make a finding on whether a petition to list, delist or reclassify a species, contains substantial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted. That finding is to be made within 90 days, to the maximum extent practicable, after receipt of the petition and is to be published in the Federal Register. Findings are based on information included in or referenced by the petition. The Service conducted a preliminary review of the information provided in the petition and issued a 90-day finding that for 10 of the 12 petitioned species, the petition provided substantial information to indicate that listing may be warranted. Today’s finding is called a positive 90-day finding for these ten species under the provisions of the Endangered Species Act. Q: What happens next? A: The Service is initiating a more thorough status review of the species and will issue a second finding, called a 12-month finding, indicating whether the petitioned action is warranted.
    [Show full text]
  • Foraging Trip Duration Increases for Humboldt Penguins Tagged with Recording De7ices
    Griffiths, R., Double, M. C., Orr, K. and Dawson, R. J. G. Piersma, T. 1997. Do global patterns of habitat use and 1998. A DNA test to sex most birds. – Mol. Ecol. 7: migration strategies co-evolve with relative investments in 1071–1075. immunocompetence due to spatial variation in parasite Hamilton, W. D. and Zuk, M. 1982. Heritable true fitness and pressure? – Oikos 80: 623–631. bright birds: a role for parasites? – Science 218: 384–386. Poulin, R. 1996. Sexual inequalities in helminth infections: a Harper, D. G. C. 1999. Feather mites, pectoral muscle condi- cost of being a male? – Am. Nat. 147: 287–295. tion, wing length and plumage coloration of passerines. – Price, P. W. 1980. Evolutionary biology of parasites. – Prince- Anim. Behav. 58: 553–562. ton University Press, Princeton. Hudson, P. J. and Dobson, A. P. 1997. Host-parasite pro- Proctor, H. and Owens, I. 2000. Mites and birds: diversity, cesses and demographic consequences. – In: Clayton, D. parasitism and coevolution. – Trends Ecol. Evol. 15: 358– H. and Moore, J. (eds). Host-parasite evolution: general 364. principles and avian models. Oxford University Press, Ox- Rosen, S., Hadani, A. and Perlstein, Z. 1988. The occurrence ford, pp. 128–154. of Megninia hologastra (Analgidae Gaud, 1974) on poultry in Israel. – Avian Pathol. 17: 921–924. Kirkpatrick, C. E., Robinson, S. K. and Kitron, U. D. 1991. Rozsa, L. 1997. Wing-feather mite (Acari: Proctophyllodidae) Phenotypic correlates of blood parasitism in the common abundance correlates with body mass of passerine hosts: A grackle. – In: Loye, J. E. and Zuk, M. (eds). Bird-parasite comparative study.
    [Show full text]
  • Penguin Bycatch Press Release
    EMBARGOED UNTIL 10.00am CET - 30th NOVEMBER 2017 Tangled and drowned: penguins threatened by fishing nets, new study Researchers from across the world have collaborated to produce the first global review of penguin bycatch, published in the scientific journal Endangered Species Research. Penguins are among the world’s most loved birds, in spite of the fact most people will never get to see one in the wild. Indeed, the opportunities to do so are diminishing, with 10 of the 18 penguin species threatened with extinction. After albatrosses, they are the most threatened group of seabirds, and like albatrosses, bycatch is thought to be a serious threat to some species. Bycatch, or the accidental capture of non-target animals in fisheries, is a threat to an array of marine life, including dolphins, turtles and seabirds. To date, however, there has been no global assessment of this threat to penguins. This first global review of penguin bycatch highlights that 14 penguin species have been recorded as bycatch in fisheries, and that gillnets - and to a lesser extent trawls - are the fishing gears of most concern for penguins. Both are widespread fishing gears, and gillnets in particular - walls of fine nylon mesh used to catch fish by the gills - are the gear of choice for many small-scale fishers the world over. Diving birds like penguins, unable to see the fine mesh underwater, are particularly vulnerable to gillnets, becoming entangled as they dive. The effect of bycatch is of greatest concern for three species: Humboldt and Magellanic Penguins, both found in South America, and Yellow- eyed Penguins, an endangered species found only in New Zealand.
    [Show full text]