Population study, growth rate of chicks, mortality rate, diurnal observations, measurements of aggressiveness and the collection of morphological and anatomical data of an adelie penguin colony at Cape Bird

A population study was conducted on Adelie penguins in the Northern colony at Cape Bird. 15 colonies were selected for daily observations and complete maps of every colony was made to measure the number and position of eggs, chicks and adults. Daily observations were made of each nest and the location of un-nesting birds, the mortality rate and cause of death of eggs and chicks and after the McCormick skuas established territories around the colony, the locations were mapped. 80 eggs were selected from the periphery nests and both egg and chicks were weighed at least every second day and monitored through to the end of the study period for survival. 24 hour observations were made on three occasions, during incubation period, during the guard stage and during the feeding stage, to compare diurnal activity observations of the Cape Bird colony with the penguin colony at Cape Hinode, Prince Olav Coast which was conducted in an earlier season. Observations were made every 5 minutes and categorised into the following activities: a)leaving the colony, b) entering the colony, c) loud mutual display, d) ecstatic display, e) quiet mutual display, f) bill to axilla display, g) copulation, h) turning egg over, i) preening, j) collecting nest stones, k) mending the nest, l) fighting and m) feeding. The aggressiveness of non-breeders was measured by supplying them with an artificial egg and measuring the intensity of pecking when approach. Morphological data was collected on 10 penguins including weight, length, bill length, foot length, length from tip of bill to the eye edge and body temperature. A recently dead penguin was found and the following body parts were measured: body weight, skin and fat under the skin, thigh muscle, calf muscle, breast muscle, thigh bones and feet, flipper, sternum bones, heart, lung, liver, trachea, testis, kidney, miscellaneous muscle, digestive system without the liver, train, head and bill and standing blood and connective tissue around the wounded area.