Variable breeding success and its implication in the conservation of endangered yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) at the New Zealand subantarctic Auckland Islands

Muller CG; Chilvers BL; French RK; Battley PF

Variable breeding success and its implication in the conservation of endangered yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) at the New Zealand subantarctic Auckland Islands

dc.citation.issue	4
dc.citation.volume	34
dc.contributor.author	Muller CG
dc.contributor.author	Chilvers BL
dc.contributor.author	French RK
dc.contributor.author	Battley PF
dc.date.accessioned	2024-08-04T23:27:13Z
dc.date.available	2024-08-04T23:27:13Z
dc.date.issued	2024-04-19
dc.description.abstract	Knowledge of breeding success is essential for conservation, as it is required for monitoring populations and survival trends. Seabird reproductive success can be negatively affected by prey availability, marine-based stochasticity, extreme weather events, individual breeders' performance and direct threats such as disease, predation and fisheries interactions. The endangered yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) is declining in mainland New Zealand, however, little is known about its breeding success in the subantarctic where the majority of the species breeds. Yellow-eyed penguin breeding success data were collected from a total of 167 nests on subantarctic Enderby Island, Auckland Islands, New Zealand, from the 2015 to 2017 breeding seasons. This included egg and chick mortality and fledging rates, plus a wider sample of the fledgling condition of 276 chicks. Fledging success was higher than in mainland New Zealand in some years, although chicks were smaller and lighter on average, highlighting the need for more information on juvenile survival probabilities in the subantarctic. Breeding success measures were similar in 2015 and 2016, but a large egg mortality in 2017 caused a significant reduction in breeding success that year. Such variability requires more investigation into the correlates of breeding success, including possible stressors such as foraging success, adverse weather and environmental effects, and pathogens. These results demonstrate the need for ongoing monitoring of yellow-eyed penguin breeding success across the subantarctic in order to establish baselines for normal variation and to determine whether anthropogenic (manageable) factors may be contributing to low productivity. This research highlights an important consideration for endangered species conservation; that breeding success may not be consistent over time, or across a species' entire range. Additional monitoring of all breeding populations should be carried out to ensure up-to-date information is available to inform conservation management decisions for the species.
dc.description.confidential	false
dc.edition.edition	April 2024
dc.identifier.citation	Muller CG, Chilvers BL, French RK, Battley PF. (2024). Variable breeding success and its implication in the conservation of endangered yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) at the New Zealand subantarctic Auckland Islands. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems. 34. 4.
dc.identifier.doi	10.1002/aqc.4143
dc.identifier.eissn	1099-0755
dc.identifier.elements-type	journal-article
dc.identifier.issn	1052-7613
dc.identifier.number	e4143
dc.identifier.uri	https://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/71185
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	John Wiley and Sons, Inc.
dc.publisher.uri	https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aqc.4143
dc.relation.isPartOf	Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
dc.rights	(c) 2024 The Author/s
dc.rights	CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
dc.rights.uri	https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subject	chick mortality
dc.subject	chick weight
dc.subject	climate change
dc.subject	egg mortality
dc.subject	fledgling weight
dc.title	Variable breeding success and its implication in the conservation of endangered yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) at the New Zealand subantarctic Auckland Islands
dc.type	Journal article
pubs.elements-id	488475
pubs.organisational-group	Other