850,000 pairs of penguins during the breeding season
Doug Gimesy, Weekend Australian
Now different penguins.. on a different island. Macquarie Island is in the Southern Ocean, SE of Tasmania and halfway to Antarctica. Macquarie Island has outstanding universal value. Firstly it provides a unique opportunity to study geological features and processes of oceanic crust formation. Second, its remote and windswept landscape of steep cliffs, lakes and dramatic vegetation provide wild, natural beauty plus great wildlife.
The island lies in Furious Fifties latitudes, called that due to the VERY strong winds and stormy seas. A coastal terrace supports vast waterlogged and vegetated areas which vary from lush grassland to sparseness within metres. This is framed by steep escarpments which rise to a plateau dotted with lakes.
The vast wildlife communities, mainly Royal Penguins in the breeding season, are special. Their populations on Macquarie Island and nearby Bishop and Clerk Islets, have climbed back up to c850,000+ pairs, one of the best communities of seabirds in the world. On the nearby islets, another c1,000 pairs breed. Penguins at Macquarie Island live in very large colonies, on rocky or pebbly beaches, for half the year.
Royal penguins are named for bright yellow plumes on their heads that resemble crowns. It takes several years for the plumes to fully meet so older penguins have lusher plumes.
Royal penguins have bright yellow plumes on their heads that resemble crowns
Australian Antarctic Programme
Royal penguins reach sexual maturity at a year. The breeding cycle is highly synchronised and starts when the males arrive in late-Sept to create small hollow nests in the rocks. The females arrive a fortnight later when males can begin their mating displays. They form monogamous breeding pairs and lay two eggs each in mid-Oct. One of the eggs is pushed from the nest and mostly dies, and the other is incubated by both parents for a month. Why does this action happen?
Royals were heavily exploited in C19th; human impacts started on Macquarie Island in 1810, causing major changes to the reserve. The commercial exploitation of seals and penguins, together with the introduction of alien species, resulted in major declines, or the extinction of some native species.
Royals were heavily exploited in C19th; human impacts started on Macquarie Island in 1810, causing major changes to the reserve. The commercial exploitation of seals and penguins, together with the introduction of alien species, resulted in major declines, or the extinction of some native species.
Before hunting started there were 3 million penguins. But then between 1870-1919 the Tasmanian Govt issued hunting licences, with 150,000 penguins taken each year for their oil. At the industry’s 1905 peak, the plant established on the Island was processing 2000 penguins at a time, with each penguin yielding .5 litre of oil.
Active management programmes since the 1960s aimed at stopping or reversing these trends. Some programmes have resulted in very rapid changes eg the eradication of feral cats from the island. However the recovery of natural ecosystem processes may take ages. Thankfully Macquarie Island is remote and well managed.
After the chick is hatched, parents take it in turn to care for it
Pinterest
Macquarie Island, its islets and surrounding waters, are managed as a nature reserve by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, guided by the Macquarie Island Nature Reserve and World Heritage Area Management Plan 2006. By law, any action that has a significant impact on the World Heritage values must be referred to the responsible Australian Minister, and large penalties apply. However the island is still vulnerable to climate change and introduced pests.
Royal penguins breed only on Macquarie Island and, like other penguins, spend much of their time at sea. They nest on beaches or on bare areas on vegetation-covered slopes. Partners of incubating birds travel 600+ km from Macquarie Island and back again in 3 weeks. Incubation lasts c30-40 days and chicks start to hatch in early late Nov/early Dec and is looked after by the loving father while the mother forages for food at sea. At about one month old, the chicks begin to group together for warmth and safety in crèches, freeing both parents to forage. When they are 2+ months old, they’ve grown their adult plumage and leave the colony to go to sea to forage themselves.
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The adults moult/drop feathers in Mar-Apr and then leave the island for c6 months over winter. It’s not known where they go during this time, although there’ve been sightings from Tasmania to the Antarctic sector of the Southern Ocean. Is their food supply stable in their second habitat?
Map of SE Australia and New Zealand, including Macquarie Is
Antarctica Travel Centre
Penguins hunt for krill, small fish and small crustaceans, differing marginally between the island’s colonies. The penguins in turn may fall prey to elephant seals, which themselves have notable colonies in the breeding season.
Populations are almost stable today, but because plastic pollution and overfishing are still problematic in their habitat, royal penguins are listed as Near Threatened. And climate change effects may severely impact the penguins’ food supply.
Populations are almost stable today, but because plastic pollution and overfishing are still problematic in their habitat, royal penguins are listed as Near Threatened. And climate change effects may severely impact the penguins’ food supply.