¿Does ecotourism have an impact on reproductive success and growth of Magellanic penguins?

BONNAT A; PALACIOS MG; CUMPLIDO M; BERTELLOTTI M; D'AMICO VL

Puerto Iguazú

Congreso; Ornithological Congress of the Americas; 2017

Association of Field Ornithologists, Sociedade Brasileira de Ornitologia y Aves Argentinas

Patagonia is a famous and popular ecotouristic destination worldwide and a main attraction is the Magellanic penguin Spheniscus magellanicus. The number of tourist visits has been increasing rapidly over the last decades. Recently we have documented physiological alterations in penguins exposed to tourism in the Natural Protected Area Punta Tombo (Chubut), main reproductive colony of the species. The aim of this study was to determine if touristic activity also has an impact on fitness indicators such as reproductive success or chick growth. To do this, during the breeding season 2016-2017 we selected nests at two different sites (one visited by tourists and the other control, not visited) in Punta Tombo. To determine reproductive success, we selected 60 nests per site and recorded the number of eggs laid, eggs hatched, and chicks alive until the fifth week of age, not finding significant differences between sites. To determine growth, we selected 20 nests per site and at two developmental stages (week one and four) we weighed chicks and measured their bill length and height, wing length and leg length. Only bill height showed significant differences between sites, being slightly bigger in the visited site, while the other variables only showed differences between ages. This study, together with the evaluation of immunological parameters and stress indicators, will contribute to the adaptation of tourist practices for minimizing the impact on the species.