Breeding success of Gentoo penguins at Maiviken, South Georgia, from 2009 to 2020

• Main Authors: Hollyman, Philip, Trathan, Philip, Collins, Martin
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: NERC EDS UK Polar Data Centre 2021
• Subjects: "EARTH SCIENCE","BIOSPHERE","ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS"; "EARTH SCIENCE","BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION","ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES","BIRDS","PENGUINS"; "EARTH SCIENCE","CLIMATE INDICATORS","BIOSPHERIC INDICATORS","BREEDING PRODUCTIVITY"; Gentoo penguin; Pygoscelis papua; breeding success; chick count; nest count; Antarctic; Sandwich Islands; South Sandwich Islands; South Georgia; Maiviken; Antarc*; British Antarctic Survey
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.5285/1fd5bc8a-96b5-4f53-aa15-33e5330e7705; https://data.bas.ac.uk/full-record.php?id=GB/NERC/BAS/PDC/01487

The breeding success (calculated from nest and chick counts) of Gentoo penguins is monitored annually at Maiviken, South Georgia. The number of incubating nests and chicks reaching fledging stage are counted. Data exist from 2010 onwards. This work was funded by Natural Environment Research Council (UK) core funding to the British Antarctic Survey : Breeding counts are made 7 days after 75% of monitored marked nests have laid at least one egg. All occupied nests i.e. those with eggs are counted on the appropriate day. All nests are checked and all those containing eggs tallied. Counts are done 3 times until the numbers are similar (within around 5%), or if two people are counting, then until the two counts are within around 5%. Chicks are counted at all the colonies 98 days after peak laying (when 75% of monitored nests have laid eggs). Counts are made on the appropriate dates according to the dates used for the breeding counts. Counts are done 3 times until numbers are similar (within around 5%). All data were collected under permit from the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. All sampling procedures used were regulated by the British Antarctic Survey Ethical Review Committee in collaboration with Cambridge University and the UK Home Office.