Menu

Volume 43, No. 2

Search by author or title:

A trial translocation of Little Penguin Eudyptula minor fledglings


Authors

NICHOLAS CARLILE1, DAVID PRIDDEL1, LISA O'NEILL2, ROBERT WHEELER1 & ERNA WALRAVEN3
1Office of Environment and Heritage, PO Box 1967, Hurstville, NSW 2220, Australia (nicholas.carlile@environment.nsw.gov.au)
2PO Box 3303, North Nowra, NSW 2541, Australia
3Taronga Conservation Society, Bradley's Head Road, Mosman, NSW 2088, Australia

Citation

CARLILE, N., PRIDDEL, D., O'NEILL, L., WHEELER, R. & WALRAVEN, E. 2015. A trial translocation of Little Penguin Eudyptula minor fledglings. Marine Ornithology 43: 223 - 229

Received 25 March 2014, accepted 3 June 2015

Date Published: 2015/10/15
Date Online: 2017/02/28
Key words: Little Penguin, Eudyptula minor, translocation, Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia.

Abstract

A translocation of wild-bred and captive-bred Little Penguin Eudyptula minor fledglings was trialled to reinforce (augment) an urban population of this species in Sydney Harbour, Australia. Over three breeding seasons (2004/05 to 2006/07), a total of 44 wild-bred fledglings from nearby Lion Island and 19 captive-bred fledglings from local zoos were translocated to Store Beach, North Harbour, within Sydney Harbour. All translocated birds were implanted with a numbered microchip before release. During the same period, the North Harbour colony produced at least 327 fledglings, of which 113 were implanted with microchips prior to fledging. The North Harbour colony was monitored between 2005 and 2013 to identify any returning translocated or locally wild-bred birds. Three translocated wild-bred birds and 12 locally wild-bred birds are known to have returned to North Harbour, but no translocated captive-bred birds. One translocated wild-bred bird returned to Store Beach while the remaining two returned to adjacent headlands. The number of pairs of Little Penguin breeding on Store Beach, where threats are intensively managed, has increased from one in 2004 to nine in 2013. This study demonstrated that translocation of wild-bred fledglings is feasible. However, because of naturally low return rates, translocations of Little Penguins need to involve a large number of individuals, preferably taken from a sizeable donor colony, to be effective in reinforcing a threatened or declining population. The effectiveness of releasing captive-bred Little Penguins has yet to be demonstrated.

References


BARHAM, P.J., CRAWFORD, R.J.M., UNDERHILL, L.G., WOLFAARDT, A.C., BARHAM, B.J., LESHORO, T.M., MEYER, M.A., NAVARRO, R.A., OSCHADLEUS, D., UPFOLD, L., WHITTINGTON, P.A. & WILLIAMS, A.J. 2006. Return to Robben Island of African Penguins that were rehabilitated, relocated or reared in captivity following the Treasure oil spill of 2000. Ostrich 77: 202–209.

BARHAM, P.J., UNDERHILL, L.G., CRAWFORD, R.J.M., ALTWEGG, R., MARIO LESHORO, T., BOLTON, D.A., DYER, B.M. & UPFOLD, L. 2008. The efficacy of hand-rearing penguin chicks: evidence from African Penguins (Spheniscus demersus) orphaned in the Treasure oil spill in 2000. Bird Conservation International 18: 144–152.

BARTON, D. 1978. Breeding Fairy Penguins at Twofold Bay, N.S.W. Corella 2: 71–72.

BELL, M., BELL, B.D. & BELL, E.A. 2005. Translocation of fluttering shearwater (Puffinus gavia) chicks to create a new colony. Notornis 52: 11–15.

BERLINCOURT, M. & ARNOULD, J.P.Y. 2014. At-sea associations in foraging Little Penguins. PLoS ONE 9: e105065.

BOURNE, J. & KLOMP, N.I. 2003. Ecology and management of the Little Penguin Eudyptula minor in Sydney Harbour. In: Lunney, D. & Burgin, S. (Eds). Urban Wildlife: more than meets the eye. Mosman: Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales. pp. 131–137.

CARLILE, N., PRIDDEL, D. & MADEIROS, J. 2012. Establishment of a new, secure colony of Endangered Bermuda Petrel Pterodroma cahow by translocation of near-fledged nestlings. Bird Conservation International 22: 46–58.

CLARKE, J. & KERRY, K. 1998. Implanted Transponders in Penguins: Implantation, Reliability, and Long-Term Effects (Transpondores Implantados en Pinguinos: Implantación, Confiabilidad, y Efectos a Largo Plazo). Journal of Field Ornithology 69: 149–159.

DANN, P. 1988. An experimental manipulation of clutch size in the Little Penguin Eudyptula minor. Emu 88: 101–103.

DANN, P. 1992. Distribution, population trends and factors influencing the population size of Little Penguins Eudyptula minor on Phillip Island, Victoria. Emu 91: 263–272.

DANN, P. & CULLEN, J.M. 1990. Survival, patterns of reproduction, and lifetime reproductive output in Little Blue Penguins (Eudyptula minor) on Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia. In Davis, L.S. & Darby, J.T. (Eds). Penguin Biology. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 63–84.

DANN, P., SIDHU, L.A., JESSOP, R., RENWICK, L., HEALY, M., DETTMANN, B., BAKER, B. & CATCHPOLE, E.A. 2014. Effects of flipper bands and injected transponders on the survival of adult Little Penguins Eudyptula minor. Ibis 156: 73–83.

FORTESCUE, M.E. 1995. Biology of the Little Penguin Eudyptula minor on Bowen Island and at other Australian colonies. In: Dann, P., Norman, I. & Reilly, P. (Eds). The Penguins. Moorebank: Surrey Beatty & Sons. pp. 364–392.

GAUTHIER–CLERC, M., GENDNER, J.P., RIBIC, C.A., FRASER, W.R., WOEHLER, E.J., DESCAMPS, S., GILLY, C., LE BOHEC, C. & LE MAHO, Y. 2004. Long–term effects of flipper bands on penguins. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences 271: S423–S426.

GUMMER, H. 2003. Chick translocation as a method of establishing new surface-nesting seabird colonies: a review. DOC Science Internal Series 150. Wellington: Department of Conservation.

HARRIGAN, K.E. 1992. Causes of mortality of Little Penguins Eudyptula minor in Victoria. Emu 91: 273–277.

HINDELL, M.A., LEA, M.-A. & HULL, C.L. 1996. The effects of flipper bands on adult survival rate and reproduction in the Royal Penguin, Eudyptes schlegeli. Ibis 138: 557–560.

HOUSTON, D.M. 1999. The use of nest boxes for blue penguins (Eudyptula minor). Ecological Management 7. Wellington, New Zealand: Department of Conservation. pp. 7–11.

HULL, C.L., HINDELL, M.A., GALES, R.P., MEGGS, R.A., MOYLE, D.I. & BROTHERS, N.P. 1998. The efficacy of translocating little penguins Eudyptula minor during an oil spill. Biological Conservation 86: 393–400.

IUCN 2014. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Version 2014.3. [Available online at: http://www.iucnredlist.org; accessed 22 June 2014].

KRESS, S.W. & NETTLESHIP, D.N. 1988. Re-establishment of Atlantic puffins (Fratercula artica) at a former breeding site in the Gulf of Maine. Journal of Field Ornithology 59: 161–170.

LANE, S.D. 1979. Seabird islands, Lion Island, New South Wales. The Australian Bird Bander 13: 34–37.

MARCHANT, S. & HIGGINS, P.J. 1990. Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Volume 1: ratites to ducks. Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

MISKELLY, C.M., TAYLOR, G.A., GUMMER, H. & WILLIAMS, R. 2009. Translocations of eight species of burrow-nesting seabirds (genera Pterodroma, Pelecanoides, Pachyptila and Puffinus: Family Procellariidae). Biological Conservation 142: 1965–1980.

NORMAN, F.I., CULLEN, J.M. & DANN, P. 1992. Little penguins Eudyptula minor in Victoria — past, present and future. Emu 91: 402–408.

NUMATA, M. 1997. Effects of philopatry on the outcome of translocating endangered seabirds. Wildlife Management Report: 92. Dunedin, Australia: University of Otago.

PEUCKER, P.J., DANN, P. & BURRIDGE, C.P. 2009. Range-wide phylogeography of the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor): Evidence of long-distance dispersal. The Auk 126: 397–408.

PRIDDEL, D. & CARLILE, N. 1995. An artificial nest box for burrow-nesting seabirds. Emu 95: 290-294.

PRIDDEL, D., CARLILE, N. & WHEELER, R. 2006. Establishment of a new breeding colony of Gould's petrel (Pterodroma leucoptera leucoptera) through the creation of artificial nesting habitat and the translocation of nestlings. Biological Conservation 128: 553–563.

PRIDDEL, D., CARLILE, N. & WHEELER, R. 2008. Population size, breeding success and provenance of a mainland colony of Little Penguins (Eudyptula minor). Emu 108: 35–41.

REILLY, P.N. & BALMFORD, P. 1975. A breeding study of the Little Penguin Eudyptula minor in Australia. In: Stonehouse, B. (Ed.) The biology of Penguins. London, UK: MacMillan. pp. 161–187.

REILLY, P.N. & CULLEN, J.M. 1979. The Little Penguin Eudyptula minor in Victoria, I: mortality of adults. Emu 79: 97–102.

REILLY, P.N. & CULLEN, J.M. 1981. The Little Penguin Eudyptula minor in Victoria, II: breeding. Emu 81: 1–19.

ROGERS, T., ELDERSHAW, G. & WALRAVEN, E. 1995. Reproductive success of Little Penguins, Eudyptula minor, on Lion Island, New South Wales. Wildlife Research 22: 709–715.

SERVENTY, D.L., GUNN, B.M., SKIRA, I.J., BRADLEY, J.S. & WOOLLER, R.D. 1989. Fledgling translocation and philopatry in a seabird. Oecologia 81: 428–429.

STAHEL, C. & GALES, R. 1987. Little Penguin: Fairy Penguins in Australia. Kensington: NSW University Press.

WEERHEIM, M.S., KLOMP, N.I., BRUNSTING, A.M.H. & KOMDEUR, J. 2003. Population size, breeding habitat and nest site distribution of little penguins (Eudyptula minor) on Montague Island, New South Wales. Wildlife Research 30: 151–157.

Search by author or title:

Browse previous volumes: