Reproductive strategies of Antarctic penguins. 1991-92

In English:

This dataset contains information on:
-Study of factors which determine growth and mortality asymmetry of
chicks in the Barbijo Penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica).
-Evaluation of energy expended in the guarding and nursery phases
in Barbijo Penguin adults and chicks.
-Study of the adaptive function in the pursuit of food in the
Barbijo Penguin.

Activities:

Fifty-two nests were marked off with numbered stakes in a large colony
(over 1000 nests), an attempt being made to include central and outer
nests. The eggs were weighed and measured and marked with a felt
pen. During the hatching period visits were made daily to ascertain
the order of hatching of the eggs in each nest. After hatching, and at
weekly periods, the beak and wing were measured, the chicks were
weighed and mortality was noted.During this field work, care was taken
to determine whether the periodic visits of our team were a
disturbance which led to artificial mortality, but no effect was
detected.All the adults involved in this study were marked and
measured. Ringing of adults and chicks was also carried out on a large
scale, metal rings being used.The energy expended by reproducing
adults (7 specimens) when in the sea was recorded using the
double-marked isotope water technique (H2 and 18O). The energy
expended by the chicks (4 specimens) was also recorded.In order to
better understand the adaptive function of the pursuit of food, an
experiment was carried out which appeared to show a significant
tendency in the adult to run less when with one sibling than when with
two.

En Espanol:

Esta ficha contiene informacion sobre:

-Analisis de los factores determinantes de la asimetria de
crecimiento y mortalidad de polluelos en el pinaino Barbijo
(Pygoscelis antarctica).
-Evaluacion del gasto energotico de adultos y polluelos durante las
fases de guardia y guarderia en el Pingaino Barbijo.
-Estudio de la funciC adaptativa de las persecuciones de ceba en el
Pingaino Barbijo.

Actividades realizadas:

Se marcaron con estacas numeradas 52 nidos en una colonia grande (ms
de 1000 nidos), procurando incluir nidos centrales y perifericos. Se
pesaron y midieron los huevos y se marcaron con rotulador. Durante el
periodo de eclosion las visitas tuvieron una periodicidad diaria para
determinar el orden de eclosion de los huevos en cada nido. A partir
de la eclosion y con una periodicidad semanal, se midieron (pico y
aleta) y pesaron los polluelos, determinandose al mismo tiempo la
mortalidad. Durante este trabajo de campo fue realizado un seguimiento
con el fin de determinar si las periodicas visitas de nuestro equipo
provocaban una mortalidad artificial por molestias, no detectandose
ningan efecto. En relacion con este estudio se marcaron y midieron
todos los adultos implicados. AdemB7s se desarrollo un programa de
anillamiento masivo de adultos y pollos utilizandose anillas
metalicas.Se midio el gasto energetico de adultos reproductores (7
individuos) durante su estancia en el mar con la tecnica del agua
doblemente marcada con isotopos estables (H2 y 18O). Al mismo tiempo
se midio el gasto energetico de polluelos (4 individuos). Con el fin
de comprender mejor la funcion adaptativa de las persecuciones de ceba
se desarrollo un experimento que parecia demostrar una significativa
tendencia de los adultos a correr menos en presencia de un hermano que
en presencia de dos.