INVESTIGADORES
YORIO Pablo Martin
artículos
Título:
Breeding biology of Magellanic penguins Spheniscus magellanicus at Golfo San Jorge, Patagonia, Argentina
Autor/es:
YORIO, P.; GARCÍA BORBOROGLU, P.; POTTI, J.; MORENO, J.
Revista:
Marine Ornithology
Editorial:
African Seabird Group
Referencias:
Año: 2001 vol. 29 p. 75 - 79
ISSN:
1018-3337
Resumen:
We studied the breeding biology of the Magellanic Penguin Spheniscus
magellanicus at Golfo San Jorge,
Argentina, during
1999. Egg-laying was relatively synchronous, with 88% of eggs being laid during
the first two weeks of the laying period. Median laying date of the first egg
was 14 October (range 6 October1 November). Mean female mass at egg-laying was
3.54±0.35 kg.
Mean clutch size was 1.91±0.29 eggs/nest and mean calculated egg volume was 227±21
cm3. The volumes of both eggs were positively correlated with female body
condition at laying. The length of the incubation period was 39.8±1.7 days. Of
the 280 eggs laid, 101 (36%) were lost and hatching success was 1.23±0.85 eggs
per nest. Female body condition during egg-laying at nests where two eggs
hatched was significantly higher than that at nests where only one or no eggs
hatched. Chicks started to hatch on 15 November. No significant differences
were found between sibling mass or morphological measurements at hatching. Ninety-one
(53%) of the 171 hatched chicks were lost and breeding success was 0.56±0.67
chicks per nest. The mass of first chicks at 60 days of age was 15% larger than
for second chicks (2.67±0.49 vs 2.32±0.63 kg). Female body condition and egg volume
of both eggs were significantly correlated with laying date. Nests with no, one
or two hatched eggs differed significantly with respect to laying date. Both
clutch size and breeding success were not significantly associated with laying
date.