Abstract
Understanding the spatial distribution of seabirds contributes to comprehending their ecological requirements and dispersion patterns. We studied the at-sea distribution of female Southern Rockhopper Penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome (J.R. Forster, 1781)) at Isla de los Estados colony during the early chick-rearing period. We used a clustering analysis approach to identify different groups according to the foraging trip (tracking and diving data from GPS and temperature and depth data loggers) and diet (δ15N composition on blood samples) characteristics. Foraging trips differed in duration, location, and dive depths explored. Females in clusters 1 and 3 traveled longer distances and in opposite directions (36.3 ± 21.3 and 40.3 ± 14.0 km, respectively). Females in cluster 2 fed closer to the colony (16.8 ± 7.8 km). Dives occurred in pelagic habitats. Higher δ15N values suggested a greater proportion of fish (e.g., the Fuegian sprat, Sprattus fuegensis (Jenyns, 1842)) consumption in the northern foraging areas (cluster 1). The variability observed in the spatial distribution suggests flexibility in the foraging behavior of Southern Rockhopper Penguins and availability of adequate foraging areas within the colony range during the early chick-rearing period, both important features for Southern Rockhopper Penguin population. These results contribute to understanding the use of the Southern Ocean by marine mesopredators and top predators and to the marine spatial planning in the area.
Highlights
Introduction aftSpatial distribution of seabirds is often determined by biological and physical attributes of the environment that determine appropriate foraging grounds
We equipped a total of 36 female Rockhopper penguins with GPS-TD data loggers over the three-year study period (2011[n = 13], 2012[n = 10], 2013[n = 13])
This study provides important data on the spatial distribution of foraging female
Summary
Spatial distribution of seabirds is often determined by biological and physical attributes of the environment that determine appropriate foraging grounds. These areas can change through time according to modifications of the environment and prey distribution (Weimerskirch 2007), and the stage of the seabirds’ annual cycle (Herman et al 2017). Seabirds may use different depths to forage (Masello et al 2010; Wilson 2010), and/or choose different at-sea areas, those seabirds breeding in neighboring colonies, that usually spatially segregate within similar habitat types (Grémillet et al 2004; Masello et al 2010; Wakefield et al 2011; Thiebot et al.2012, 2013; Ratcliffe et al 2014)
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