|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The suggestion is that these groups fish cooperatively, in which case you might expect the birds to seek out good team mates rather than form groups at random. To find out, Chiaradia and other researchers recorded arrivals and departures of little penguins over four consecutive breeding seasons, identifying the birds by means of a microchip placed under their skin. This showed that they did tend to team up with the same fishing partners. However, it was also found that only middle-aged penguins did so, and then only when food was abundant. In years when food was scarce, the birds were less choosy, perhaps because they were fishing alone to avoid sharing scarce resources. Older and young penguins, both of which are likely to be less good fishers, were never picked to be part of a team. — ANI
|
||
|
|
||
A
team of researchers led by Andre Chiaradia of the Philip Island Nature
Park in Victoria, Australia, has concluded that penguins like to team
up when going on fishing expeditions. Little penguins, the smallest
penguin species, like many other penguins, cross the beach in groups
of five to 10 birds, to protect themselves from potential predators.