Re-evaluation of historical rockhopper penguin population data in the Falkland Islands

Pütz, Klemens; Clausen, Andrea P.; Huin, Nic; Croxall, John P.. 2003 Re-evaluation of historical rockhopper penguin population data in the Falkland Islands. Waterbirds, 26 (2). 169-175. https://doi.org/10.1675/1524-4695(2003)026[0169:ROHRPP]2.0.CO;2

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Abstract/Summary

Over the past 70 years, three counts have been conducted on the Rockhopper Penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) population on the Falkland Islands during the 1932/33, 1995/96 and 2000/01 breeding seasons. The results indicated a population decrease of more than 90% during this period, from more than three million breeding pairs in 1932/33 to less than 300,000 breeding pairs in the mid-1990s. However, a re-evaluation of these data revealed that the original population was substantially overestimated and the 1930s numbers were probably closer to 1.5 million breeding pairs. Modifications to the mid-1990s data produce a revised population estimate of about 263,000, rather than 297,000 breeding pairs. Based on these revised values, the overall decrease in the Rockhopper Penguin at the Falkland Islands between 1932 and 1995 still exceeded 80%, at a rate of ca. 2.75% per annum. In the most recent census, the population was estimated to be 272,000 breeding pairs, suggesting a stable population since the mid 1990s. These re-calculations of historical Rockhopper Penguin population trends in the Falkland Islands have important implications for the assessment of the global population size and long-term trends of this species.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1675/1524-4695(2003)026[0169:ROHRPP]2.0.CO;2
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Antarctic Science in the Global Context (2000-2005) > Dynamics and Management of Ocean Ecosystems
ISSN:	1524-4695
Additional Keywords:	Rockhopper Penguins, Eudyptes chrysocome, Falkland Islands, population trend, breeding pair numbers, census, historical data
NORA Subject Terms:	Zoology Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	22 Feb 2012 13:17 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/12944

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1675/1524-4695(2003)026[0169:ROHRPP]2.0.CO;2

Programmes:

BAS Programmes > Antarctic Science in the Global Context (2000-2005) > Dynamics and Management of Ocean Ecosystems

ISSN:

1524-4695

Additional Keywords:

Rockhopper Penguins, Eudyptes chrysocome, Falkland Islands, population trend, breeding pair numbers, census, historical data

NORA Subject Terms:

Zoology
Ecology and Environment