Artificial nests can boost the breeding success of endangered African penguins, but different designs are more effective at different colonies according to a new study by an international team of researchers from South Africa and the UK. The findings are published in the British Ecological Society journal, Ecological Solutions and Evidence.
A new study, led by researchers at Nelson Mandela University, which monitored the breeding success of African penguins for 12 years across South Africa has found that artificial nests outperformed natural nests and increased breeding output by 16.5%.
However, the researchers also discovered that no single style of artificial nest was the most effective across penguin colonies, with each type having strengths and weaknesses. The newly designed, double layered ceramic nests were generally the most effective type of nest compared to earlier designs, but this was not universal.
Credit
Lorien Pichegru
In this study the researchers looked at the breeding success of African penguins over a 12-year period at the 8 largest African Penguin colonies in South Africa. The researchers checked both natural nests and 4 types of artificial nests weekly from when eggs were laid until chick fledgling or nest failure.
The artificial nests included the newly designed ceramic nests which have slanted roofs and 5cm airgap between layers, A-framed pine plywood nests (the oldest design), cement nests made of a mixture of fibreglass and cement, and fibreglass burrows which mimic the shape of natural penguin burrows.
The researchers warn that breeding success in natural nests may have been slightly underestimated in the study due to the logistical challenges of monitoring them. Natural nests monitored for breeding success are often chosen in accessible areas to reduce disturbance and therefore can be more exposed to weather and predators.
