THE ANNUAL ENERGETICS CYCLE OF LITTLE PENGUINS (EUDYPTULA-MINOR)

For little penguins in Bass Strait, Australia, estimates of energy turnover were used to construct time/energy budgets for comparison with time/activity budgets. Although chick-rearing occupies only 16% of the annual time budget, this period is the most energetically expensive phase and accounts for 31% of the annual energy budget. The high energy costs of chick-rearing are particularly extreme toward the end of chick growth. At this time the daily rates of food consumption by attending adults exceed 60% of adult body mass. During the nonbreeding season (winter) adult energy expenditure exceeds that acquired from feeding, and the birds lose body mass. The metabolic costs of pursuit diving appear to be similar to those associated with flapping flight. The total annual food requirements of little penguins were estimated to be 37 000 Mg of food (fish, squid, krill). -from Authors