| Summary: | International audience Huddling allows emperor penguins to conserve energy and survive their long winter fast while facing harsh climatic conditions. Here we report the Wrst investigation into the eVects of changes in wind speed and ambient temperature on diVerent components of penguin huddling behaviour. We attached light and temperature recorders to male emperor penguins at the Pointe Géologie colony, Antarctica, which recorded huddling events. We then compared the frequency, duration, occurrence and intensity of huddling bouts, with ambient air temperatures and wind speeds. Huddling occurrence increased with lower ambient temperatures and higher wind speeds, whereas huddling intensity was mainly enhanced by lower ambient temperatures. Moreover, huddling group movements were linked to wind direction and its global density to lower ambient temperatures. Hence, emperor penguins complex huddling behaviour was modulated diVerently depending on these two parameters. Weather conditions may then aVect emperor penguins ability to save energy and survive their winter fast.
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