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First published online December 26, 2008
Journal of Experimental Biology 212, 210-216 (2009)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2009
doi: 10.1242/jeb.024893
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Orientation in a crowded environment: can King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) chicks find their crèches after a displacement?

Anna P. Nesterova1,*, Jérôme Mardon1,2 and Francesco Bonadonna1

1 Behavioural Ecology Group, CEFE–CNRS, 1919 route de Mende, F-34293 Montpellier, Cedex 5, France
2 AECR Group, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences UWA, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley WA 6009, Australia

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: apnesterova{at}gmail.com)

Accepted 17 November 2008

For seabird species, the presence of conspecifics in a crowded breeding colony can obstruct locally available orientation cues. Thus, navigation to specific locations can present a challenging problem. We investigated short-range orientation in King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) chicks that live in a large and densely populated colony. The two main objectives were to determine whether chicks displaced to a novel location away from the colony (i) can orient towards the colony and return to their crèche and (ii) rely on visual or non-visual cues for orientation. To address these questions, a circular arena was constructed 100 m away from the colony. Chicks were released in the arena during the day and at night. After the orientation experiment in the arena, chicks were allowed to return to their home crèche, if they could. Our results showed that, during day trials, chicks preferred the half of the arena closer to the colony, but not at night. However, at night, birds spent more time on `the colony half' of the arena if the wind blew from the colony direction. When animals were allowed to leave the arena, 98% of chicks homed during the day but only 62% of chicks homed at night. Chicks that homed at night also took longer to find their crèche. The experiments suggest that King Penguin chicks can find their crèche from a novel location. Visual cues are important for homing but, when visual cues are not present, animals are able to make use of other information carried by the wind.

Key words: short-range orientation, King Penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus, chick, visual landmark


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