Suchergebnisse

This study used VHF telemetry, time–depth recorders (TDRs) collecting
geolocation and sea-surface temperature data, and foraging-trip durations to
describe and compare the foraging zones of royal and rockhopper penguins at
Macquarie Island. VHF telemetry was unsuccessful, but TDRs were deployed 61
times across the four stages of the breeding season (males during incubation,
females during incubation, guard stage and creche stage) during the
1994/95 and 1995/96 austral summers, with 37 providing data for
analysis. The errors inherent in geolocation made it impossible to determine
precise foraging zones and overlaps between the species. However, sea-surface
temperature data and foraging-trip durations provided estimates of foraging
zones. Both species foraged in waters of the same temperature
(6.8–10.8°C), representing the same regions of the polar frontal
zone. It was estimated that rockhopper penguins did not travel as far as royal
penguins, providing some degree of segregation in foraging zones. When the
data were assessed contemporaneously, to take into account the 3-week
asynchrony in the breeding season of the species, the overlap in foraging
zones was small.