Breeding success of Northern Rockhopper Penguins (Eudyptes moseleyi) at Gough Island, South Atlantic Ocean
Populations of Northern Rockhopper Penguins (Eudyptes moseleyi) are declining, and their breeding success is low compared with that of other species of Eudyptes. We tracked loss of broods and investigated how the response to threats by breeding birds and the density of nests in a colony influence breeding success of Northern Rockhopper Penguins on Gough Island. Brood loss was greatest (33-61%) during incubation and the early chick stage. Most (71%) hatchlings survived to form crèches, and 73% of chicks present during early crèche formation moulted into juvenile plumage. Breeding success was significantly positively correlated with the response to threats by breeding birds and the number of other breeding birds within a 1.5-m radius, a relationship that may be increasingly important in a declining penguin population. © 2010 Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union.
Duke Scholars
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Related Subject Headings
- Ornithology
- 4104 Environmental management
- 3109 Zoology
- 3103 Ecology
- 0608 Zoology
- 0602 Ecology
- 0502 Environmental Science and Management
Citation
Published In
DOI
ISSN
Publication Date
Volume
Issue
Start / End Page
Related Subject Headings
- Ornithology
- 4104 Environmental management
- 3109 Zoology
- 3103 Ecology
- 0608 Zoology
- 0602 Ecology
- 0502 Environmental Science and Management