Measurements of the energy requirements of adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) by analysis of blood samples for the turnover rate of injected radioactive water and salts and from analysis of gut contents

The metabolic rate and energy requirements of penguins was determined by measuring the turnover rates of radioactive body water and salts. Individual birds were banded, weighed and injected with radio-active labelled water and sodium (22Na+). Blood samples were taken three hours after the injection and analysed. The turnover rates were measured in males and females during courtship, incubating females, foraging males, guard-stage adults and adults and chicks during the creche stage. The diet composition of adelie penguins was determined by stomach pumping twenty penguins and analysing the gut contents. This gives valuable support to the energetic requirement analysis and to estimate the number of krill each penguin needs at each stage of the breeding cycle.