Notornis, 52 (2), 75-80
Article Type: paper
Foraging of female rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome filholi) during the chick stage was investigated at Antipodes Islands during December 2002 – January 2003. During the guard stage eight birds were tracked to foraging areas 22 – 54 km NNE or E from their nests. Birds foraging NNE did so over waters 500-1500 m deep, while those that travelled E foraged in water > 1500 m deep. The mean duration of these foraging trips was 1.37 days, significantly (p 1500 m deep. Male parents guarded the chicks more or less continuously, with most females returning to feed the chicks from mid afternoon. In the post-guard stage, most male parents returned to the nest each evening, but fewer females attended the nest at this time. Weight increases indicated that chicks were fed, on average, about once per day during both the guard and early post-guard stages. The foraging trips of female rockhopper penguins at Antipodes Islands were usually of longer duration and extended farther from the nest than birds breeding at Amsterdam, Kerguelen and Crozet Islands, but occupied a similar time and covered a greater distance than birds breeding at Staten Island. However, they were of considerably shorter duration and distance than birds breeding at Macquarie Island. This may be related to the differing marine environments around each of these breeding locations.