20 years of weighing penguins

AUSTRALIA – The human obsession with weight watching also transcends to the penguin world. When little penguins cross the beach at Phillip Island every night, they are closely monitored by a weighbridge system. For penguins, being heavy is better – it is a sign of good health.

The penguin monitoring system or weighbridge, is celebrating its 20 year anniversary this month. The system has revolutionised the way researchers collect weight and attendance data on penguins. During this period, the weighbridge information has helped to inform more than 30 students at honours, PhD and post doc level and is also responsible for over 50 scientific publications.

For some Fiordland crested penguins, there's no place like home

Fiordland crested penguin in Milford Sound © Thomas Mattern

NEW ZEALAND – When it comes to exploration and endurance swimming, Fiordland crested penguins at Milford Sound would rather stay at home.

Preliminary results from an investigation of the penguins' behaviour have shown, while West Coast penguins travel up to 100 km from their breeding colonies in search of food, those from Harrison Cove in Milford Sound seldom moved further than 1 km. Only one adventurous bird travelled 9 km to the outer reaches of Milford Sound.

Wellington Zoo takes the lead to help wild little blue penguins

NEW ZEALAND - Wellington Zoo and Forest & Bird’s Wellington Branch have joined forces on a targeted campaign to help protect the shy native birds that share our coastline – little blue penguins (also known as Kororā).

“Hundreds of Kororā call Wellington home, but lots of people don’t actually know about them or see them,” said Daniela Biaggio, Wellington Zoo Conservation Manager.

Dogs, however, can easily sniff out these strong smelling little birds – which can be bad news for little blue penguins, as research has shown that dogs off leash are one of the major threats to their survival.

Support for world’s smallest penguin

NEW ZEALAND  – The little blue penguin – the world’s smallest – is one of several West Coast seabirds that will receive support as part of the Community Conservation Partnership Fund’s support for West Coast conservation projects, said Associate Conservation Minister Nicky Wagner.

“The $98,000 investment will help the West Coast Penguin Trust conduct research and carry out practical projects to protect blue penguins and other West Coast seabirds,” Ms Wagner said.

“As well as the blue penguin, the investment will help to conserve the Fiordland crested penguins and other threatened seabirds and habitat on the West Coast.

“Projects include roadside fences to protect penguins from traffic, GPS logging of penguin feeding expeditions, education programmes, and studying seabirds and predator species in new locations for potential pest eradication and habitat restoration.”

Other West Coast conservation projects that will receive funding are the Mokihinui Biodiversity Enhancement Project, the Kawatiri River Trail Boardwalks, the Paparoa Wildlife Trust and the Okarito Community Nursery.

“Together, these projects will be a welcome boost for conservation on the West Coast,” Ms Wagner said.

Source
Support for the world's smallest penguin [press release], New Zealand Government, 18 September 2015, Scoop.co.nz

Over $15,000 raised for yellow-eyed penguins

NEW ZEALAND - The Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust will employ a researcher to find out why yellow-eyed penguin numbers are decreasing near Stewart Island, following a $15,335 funding boost from Real Journeys ‘Cruise-for-a-Cause’ initiative.

In the last twelve years, the number of penguin breeding pairs has almost halved on Codfish Island/Whenua Hou near Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Yellow-eyed Penguin Trust (YEPT) needed external funding to help find out why this was occurring on a predator-free island.

New fossil skulls reveal insights about penguin brain evolution

ANTARCTICA - When they're not being the stars of various animated movies, penguins are playing an important role in evolutionary studies. Penguins are unique among modern birds in that they 'fly' through the water. Although flightless in air, penguins have a number of adaptations which allow them glide effortlessly through the water. And some of these adaptations are in an unlikely part of their anatomy - their brains. Recent finds of fossil penguins from 35 million year old sediments in Antarctica have begun to shed light on the changes in penguin brains that accompanied their transition to water.

Shifting winds and ocean currents double endangered Galapagos penguin population

Galápagos penguins. Credit: Snowmanradio on Flickr

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS – Shifts in trade winds and ocean currents powered a resurgence of Galápagos penguins over the past 30 years, according to a new study. These changes enlarged a cold pool of water the penguins rely on for food and breeding – an expansion that could continue as the climate changes over the coming decades, the study’s authors said.

The Galápagos Islands, a chain of islands 1000km west of mainland Ecuador, are home to the only penguins in the Northern Hemisphere. The 48-cm tall black and white Galápagos penguins landed on the endangered species list in 2000 after the population plummeted to only a few hundred individuals and are now considered the rarest penguins in the world.