Breeding patterns of King Penguins on the Falkland Islands

Otley, Helen; Clausen, Andrea P.; Christie, Darren; Huin, Nic; Pütz, Klemens

doi:10.1071/mu06027

Cited by 11 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 36 publications

(41 reference statements)

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“…Assuming king penguins at the Falklands attempt breeding on an annual basis (Otley et al 2007, but see Olsson 1996), and breeding success (incorporating over-wintering mortality up to November when chick counts were performed) to be 28% (Otley et al 2007), the population at the Falklands consisted of about 720 breeding pairs in 2009. The unusual and extended breeding cycle of king penguins, combined with uncertainty regarding breeding frequency, a prolonged egg laying period, substantial interannual variation in over winter survival (Weimerskirch et al 1992) and a lack of information on breeding success preclude the calculation of an accurate population estimate (Van Heezik et al 1994, Olsson 1996.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although previously referred to as the northernmost breeding colony of king penguins (e.g. Otley et al 2007), at 518S the Falklands colony is situated further south than the large Indian Ocean colonies (situated between 46 and 498S).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In January/February the first chicks start hatching, after an incubation period of 54-55 days (Williams 1995). After almost a year at the colony the chicks start fledging in November (Olsson 1996, Otley et al 2007.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…King penguins have an unusual breeding cycle because the time required to fledge a chick exceeds one year (13-14 months including the prenuptial moult) (Van Heezik et al 1994, Olsson 1996, Otley et al 2007. Most king penguins are thought to attempt breeding each year, but the rate of successful breeding in two consecutive years varies according to locality (Van Heezik et al 1994, Olsson 1996.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fact that the breeding cycle exceeds a full year results in an extended egg laying period of up to four months, with early breeders generally having higher breeding success than later breeders (Olsson 1996). Courtship and egg laying commences in November and extends through to March (Van den Hoff et al 1993, Van Heezik et al 1994, Olsson 1996, Otley et al 2007. In January/February the first chicks start hatching, after an incubation period of 54-55 days (Williams 1995).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Population development and historical occurrence of king penguins at the Falkland Islands

et al. 2012

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Abstract:After an extended period of sporadic sightings of small numbers of king penguins at the Falkland Islands, they established themselves on Volunteer Point, situated at the north-east of the islands, by the late 1970s. By 1980, a small breeding population was present which yielded some 40 fledglings during that same year. Since 1991, the population has been monitored annually and the resulting fledgling counts analysed to assess population trends. The population demonstrated a significant increase over the past three decades, at about 10% per annum, with time explaining 75% of the variation in count data. The current population is estimated to be 720 breeding pairs. Despite several authors having alluded to the existence of a large colony of king penguins at the Falklands prior to human exploitation, we found no evidence in support of this. We furthermore found no evidence in the literature in support of exploitation for king penguin oil during the 19th century. Unlike at other breeding sites, increasing numbers of king penguins at the Falklands is consequently unlikely to be a recovery response following exploitation, but rather an indication of either increased immigration or of improved feeding conditions.

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