Provisioning behaviour of macaroni penguins Eudyptes chrysolophus

Barlow, Kate E.; Croxall, John P.. 2002 Provisioning behaviour of macaroni penguins Eudyptes chrysolophus. Ibis, 144 (2). 248-258. 10.1046/j.1474-919X.2002.00046.x

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Abstract/Summary

Understanding how parental expenditure reflects food availability and influences reproductive output is a key part of studies of breeding performance. Provisioning behaviour is an important aspect of parental expenditure. We show that Macaroni Penguins Eudyptes chrysolophus have clear sex-specific differences in provisioning behaviour. Females provision chicks throughout rearing and at higher rates than males, which only participate in the later stages. Female provisioning is consistent throughout chick-rearing and appears to relate to a threshold rate governing whether or not chicks survive. The additional expenditure by males (but not females) during the creche period influenced chick growth and fledging mass of survivors. We suggest a very simple model to account for these sex-specific differences and effects. Interannual variation in parental expenditure resulted in differences in reproductive output between years. Years of lowest expenditure resulted in lowest growth rate of chicks, Sex-specific differences in provisioning were similar among years, however, with a consistent proportion of expenditure by males.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1046/j.1474-919X.2002.00046.x
Programmes:	BAS Programmes > Other
ISSN:	0019-1019
NORA Subject Terms:	Marine Sciences Zoology Biology and Microbiology Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	07 Sep 2011 13:09 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/13111

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