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Intertidal foraging by gentoo penguins in a macroalgal raft

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2020

James B. McClintock*
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL35294, USA
Charles D. Amsler
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL35294, USA
Margaret O. Amsler
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL35294, USA
William R. Fraser
Affiliation:
Polar Oceans Research Group, Sheridan, MT59749, USA

Extract

Foraging strategies in gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) have been well studied (e.g. Croxall et al. 1988, Robinson & Hindell 1996, Lescroël et al. 2004, Takahashi et al. 2008, Xavier et al. 2017). The general consensus is this largest member of the three pygoscelid penguins displays both nearshore benthic and pelagic foraging tactics to consume combinations of crustaceans and fish. In a recent study, Carpenter-Kling et al. (2017) reported that gentoos at sub-Antarctic Marion Island displayed a novel foraging strategy that consisted of alternating typical lengthy foraging trips with much shorter nearshore afternoon trips. They suggest the latter foraging behaviour may be a response to suboptimal feeding conditions caused by local environmental change. This novel discovery reinforces the fact that, despite considerable study, not all foraging tactics in penguins have been documented. In this paper, we describe what we believe to be, yet another undocumented foraging tactic employed by gentoos.

Type
Short Note
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2020

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References

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