Krill-feeding behaviour of gentoo penguins as shown by animal-borne camera loggers

Abstract

Animal-borne camera loggers were used to examine the patterns of prey encounter and feeding behaviour of gentoo penguins at King George Island, Antarctica. The still images from the camera loggers showed that the penguins encountered the swarms of krill for 25.5% (range: 8？38%) of their dives (>5 m) on average, during their foraging trips (mean duration of 5.4 h, n = 7 trips). They encountered krill swarms during the dives to 10？70 m depth, in pelagic as well as benthic habitats. In the benthic habitat, the penguins swam just above the sea Xoor and headed downward over a krill swarm, probably using the sea floor to assist them to feed on mobile swarms. The shallow coastal waters would be the important foraging habitat of gentoo penguins breeding in King George Island.