OCEANS OF BLUE
WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY FOR LITTLE PENGUINS
CONTACT US
Write to us:
35 Dauncey Street
Kingscote SA 5223
Phone us:
(08) 8553 4300
Fax us:
Fax (08) 8553 4399
Look at our
website:
www.kinrm.sa.gov.au
Email us:
[email protected]
For more
information:
www.kinrm.sa.gov.au
PROJECT TEAM
Martine Kinloch
Coast & Marine
Program Manager
Daniel Brock
Coast & Marine
Biodiversity Officer
Kym Lashmar
Coast & Marine
Technical Officer
Across South Australia, some colonies of
little penguins (Eudyptula minor) appear
to be in decline.
their nests in burrows they excavate in
the earth between rocks or under coastal
shrubs. They generally return to the
same colony to nest each year.
Encroaching coastal development, an
increase in recreational and tourism
Little penguins live all around the coast
activities near
of Kangaroo Island
little penguin
but there are
colonies, death by
particularly large
Across South Australia
dogs, humans and
colonies in
other introduced
numbers of little
Kingscote and
animals, and
Penneshaw. The
penguins are
increased
Island’s little
predation by New
decreasing.
penguin colonies
Zealand fur seals
have ecological
as the seal
and commercial
population expands, are all factors
importance
so
the
Kangaroo
Island
contributing to the decline.
Natural Resources Management Board
Little penguins are found around most of
Coast and Marine Program is working
Australia’s southern coasts, especially on
with the Kingscote Penguin Centre and
offshore islands (Figure 1). Their colonies
the local community to monitor
range in size from a few pairs of birds to
population size and breeding activity in
thousands of pairs. Adult penguins build
the Kingscote colony. Together they
“
”
The Oceans of Blue program uses a scientifically rigorous and integrated system to
measure and report on the state of marine, coastal and estuarine environments of
Kangaroo Island. This system relates trends in the condition of biodiversity assets to
changes in human uses of land and seascapes, provides advice on targeting management
actions to mitigate human-induced impacts where required and empowers the public to
respond to threats to natural resource condition and values.
Below left: Volunteers search a little penguin burrow for signs of activity. Image A.Schofield.
Below right: A little penguin with its chick nestled in their burrow. Image A.Schofield.
conduct an annual census to monitor changes in the
size and distribution of the breeding population of
that colony.
eggs, feathers, fresh guano (faeces) or a strong smell.
The census is timed to coincide with the predicted
height of the Kingscote breeding season, when most
penguins are ashore resting, mating, preparing nests or
raising chicks.
Figure 1. Major little penguin populations
in Australia
What did we do?
The third annual Kingscote Community Penguin
Census on 22 October 2008 attracted 70 volunteers.
The census takes in the Kingscote foreshore from
the Bay of Shoals boat ramp to Brownlow Beach
(Figure 2). Volunteers are divided into 11 groups,
each of which is allocated to a section. They search
the foreshore from the high tide mark to a distance
of 2–75 metres inland for penguin burrows.
Each burrow found is assessed to determine if it is
active (used) or inactive (abandoned) and if adult
penguins, chicks and/or eggs are present. Active
burrows are those that are currently occupied by
penguins or display evidence of occupation such as
Figure 2. Section areas for Kingscote
Penguin Census
How many penguin burrows are there
around Kingscote?
The 2008 census counted 525 little penguin burrows
compared with 595 in 2007. In 2008, as in other years,
over half of all the burrows were found in the central
portion of the colony (sections 6, 7 and 8) covering
the Tidal Pool, Kingscote Wharf and Hospital Beach
areas (Figure 3). For the last two years of the census
the number of active burrows counted has been about
400; in 2006 the number was 205 (Table 3). The
higher counts seen in 2007 and 2008 may have been
Below left: There are many threats for little penguins such as becoming entangled in human rubbish. Image: B.Page.
Below right: Volunteers searching coastal vegetation for penguin burrows near Brownlow. Image: A.Schofield
Table 1. Number of adults, chicks and eggs
recorded in 3 penguins censuses
due to a combination of improved survey experience
and better timing of the census to coincide with
peak breeding activity in the colony.
2006 2007 2008
How many penguins did we see?
Around the same number of adult penguins were
spotted in their burrows in all years of the census
(Table 1). Adult penguins are often out foraging at
sea during the day, returning to their burrows at
dusk to rest and feed chicks. The number of chicks
seen each year was more variable, with the high
numbers found in 2007 and 2008, and a relatively
low number in 2006 (Table 1). This again suggests
205
427
374
No. adults
82
76
90
No. chicks
34
112
91
No. eggs
11
16
11
What does this mean for the Kingscote
colony of little penguins?
that the census ‘hit’ the peak breeding period more
closely or that there was greater clutch success.
After three annual censuses there doesn’t appear to
be any evidence of a decline in active burrows, adult
penguins or chicks (Figure 1, Table 1). For the last
two years there have been about 400 active burrows
counted. This is good news but these are early days in
the monitoring program. The first three years of data
can be thought of as providing
a baseline estimate of the size
and distribution of the
Kingscote colony. If we
assume that each active
burrow represents a pair of
penguins, then there are
about 800 penguins in the
Kingscote colony (excluding
2006 data).
In each year, several dead penguins were recorded
with some evidence that mortality was related to
dog and human attack.
Figure 3. Number of active burrows
counted in each section (2008 data)
120
100
No. of active burrows
No. active burrows
80
60
40
20
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
S e c t i o n Section
7
8
9
10
11
Looking at the census results
it would be easy to think the
numbers of little penguins had
Below left: An adult little penguin stands over a cracked egg, possibly hiding a newly hatched chick. Image: P.Bartram.
Below right: An adult little penguin peers out from its rocky burrow. Image: P.Bartram
penguin colony over time. This information can then
increased in Kingscote since 2006. However, most
be used to identify impacts and determine any
animal populations fluctuate over time and
actions which may be needed to help the colony.
throughout an area – food availability, predation and
chick survival rates may all affect the numbers
The Oceans of Blue program has also begun a little
within the colony. For example, more chicks may
penguin activity study with assistance from the KI
hatch in one year than another suggesting that the
Marine Centre. A subset of burrows in the Kingscote
colony is growing. But if
colony has been selected and
hardly any of the chicks
marked, and will be visited on
survive to breed as adults then
a weekly basis to record
Several years of census
burrow occupation and
placing too much emphasis on
data
is
needed
before
breeding activity. This
chick numbers may lead to an
information will provide a
incorrect assessment of colony
we can start to
better understanding of the
health.
understand the range of Little Penguin breeding cycle
A continuing program of
o which will aid in timing
natural variation in the
annual penguin censuses will
future censuses and
Kingscote little penguin
help us draw conclusions
interpreting census results.
about the colony’s health.
colony and draw
Several years data are needed
References
inferences about the
before we can start to
Marchant, S and Higgins, PJ.
understand the range of
status of the population. 1990. Handbook of
natural variation in the
Australian, New Zealand and
Kingscote little penguin
Antarctic Birds. Vol. 1. Oxford University Press,
colony and draw inferences about the status of the
Melbourne.
population.
Waas, JR. 1990a. Intraspecific variation in social
repetoires: evidence from cave- and burrowWhat we do with this information now?
dwelling Little Blue Penguins. Behaviour 115: 63–90.
The Kingscote Community Penguin censuses have
provided an excellent benchmark to begin to measure
Weerheim, MS, Klomp, NI, Brunsting, AMH and
changes to the Kingscote little penguin colony over
Komdeur, J. 2003. Population size, breeding habitat
time. If community support remains strong, the
and nest site distribution of little penguins Eudyptula
census will continue each year to build on this
minor on Montague Island, New South Wales.
database and to capture any changes to the little
Wildlife Research 30: 151–57.
“
”
Below left: The Oceans of Blue team, Danny Brock and Martine Kinloch, recording burrow locations for the activity study.
Image: Department for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts.
Below right: An adult little penguin watches volunteers from the safety of its burrow. Image: P.Bartram.