Foraging strategies of Magellanic penguins from a central Patagonian colony during the incubation period

GABRIELA BLANCO; HILTON ENTRINGER JÚNIOR; ARIEL C. SERRA; JUAN PABLO PISONI

Viña del Mar

Congreso; XI International Penguin Congress; 2023

Incubating Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus, MP) must balance nest attendance with foraging performance. Few studies focused on MP’s behavior during incubation probably due to logistical and technological constrains. We studied foraging behavior of 17 MP (11 males and 6 females) during incubation (2019 and 2022 breeding seasons) using GPSs in Cabo dos Bahías (44°54′50″S; 65°32′37″W), Argentina. Additionally, we determined trip duration of 25 and 21 breeding pairs in 2019 and 2022 respectively by recording nests attendance of micro-chipped penguins. Two foraging strategies were determined: 14% breeding pairs alternated trips of 3-5 days and 86% alternated only two trips. Although 65% of males made an additional trip (9.3 ± 3.3h; total distance: 25.1 ± 9.5km) before the second egg was laid. Males foraged first during 22.3 ± 4 days, followed by females that traveled for 14.6 ± 6.0 days; showing differences in trip duration between sexes (F=21.9; p