Individual diving strategies in the little penguin

• Main Authors: Ropert-Coudert, Y., Kato, A., Naito, Y., Cannell, B.L.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Waterbird Society 2003
• Subjects: Penguin Island
• Online Access: https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/16749/

Data on the diving activity of the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor) as recorded by data loggers are few. We monitored the foraging parameters of free-ranging Little Penguins, breeding at Penguin Island, Western Australia, using a small, hydrodynamically shaped time-depth recorder. Data were obtained for one, two and three consecutive foraging trips of three, one and two birds, respectively. These data showed that individual Little Penguins presented distinct diving depths that are consistent from one trip to the next. Four birds exploited shallow depths, around 1-5 m, but two other birds always chose to dive deeper, to around 8-10 m. No trends could be established between the adult mass or the chick mass and the preferred diving depths. The causes and consequences of these individual diving strategies are discussed.