The Use of Teflon for Banding Penguins

Abstract

The permanent flipper-banding of long-lived penguins with metal bands has presented two problems: slight plumage wear, and band loss due to metal fatigue. In 1964 and 1965 FEP Fluorocarbon plastic (Teflon) was used in the design, production, and testing of bands for emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri) and Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) at Cape Crozier, Antarctica. Serial numbers and letters on metal strips were laminated between two layers of Teflon for individual identification of birds. The bands were preshaped to fit the form of the flippers and were attached with stainless steel rivets and washers by a special pair of pliers. Recoveries after 1 year of banding indicate that Teflon bands are superior to metallic bands on penguins and that this material will prove useful in the permanent marking of other birds and animals. Antarctic penguins are proving to be valuable study subjects for long-term population and short-term physiological and behavioral research (Prevost 1961, Emlen and Penney 1964, Sladen 1965). They are flightless, easy to catch, and can be marked with flipper-bands (Sladen 1952) which identify the birds from a distance of about 20 meters without disturbance. Problems encountered in flipper-banding penguins have been discussed by Gwynn (1955), Sladen (1958:12), and Sladen and Tickell (1958:4-13). For example, the bands must be carefully shaped to allow the flipper to expand during the molt. Metal alloy bands used by the USARP2 Bird-banding Program (Sladen and Penney 1960) on Adelie penguins have lasted for 8 years, but there is some evidence of band loss. In breeding adults, the rate of band loss of this original design does not exceed 2 percent within the first year of application (Penney, in press), but the loss rate probably increases with band age. Therefore, a metal band suitable for a penguin flipper is unlikely to last the bird's lifetime, which may exceed 20 years. We have tested some FEP Fluorocarbon (trade name Teflon) for emperor and Adelie penguin flipper-bands in the hope that this plastic may prove superior to metal bands. This work was supported by the Office of Antarctic Programs, National Science Foundation (Grants GA-151 and 127). We are indebted to C. Hoover and A. Duvall for technical advice and to P. Monaghan for assistance. Assistance in banding was given by Rear Admiral J. Reedy, J. Emlen, J. Boyd, G. Harrow, B. Stonehouse, I. Harkness, E. Rodgers, and R. Burkholder. The USARP Bird-banding Program cooperates with the Banding Laboratory, U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center. We design and purchase our own bands and use the FWS assigned address and numbering. Samples of FEP Fluorocarbon film (3000 XF) from the DuPont Film Department, Rocky River, Cleveland, were used. For our purposes this Teflon has five important