Foraging Ranges of Humboldt Penguins Spheniscus humboldti from Tilgo Island: the Critical Need for Protecting a Unique Marine Habitat

Authors

René Quispe, Departamento Biología Marina, Facultad Ciencias del Mar, Universidad Católica del NorteFollow
Miriam Lerma
Nicolás Luna
Matías Portflitt-Toro
Juan Serratosa
Guillermo Luna-Jorquera

Abstract

The largest population of Humboldt Penguins resides in a fertile archipelago of the north-central coast of Chile, formed by eight islands in proximity to upwelling centers of the Humboldt Current System. However, five of these islands lack legal protection. Here, we report the results of breeding Humboldt Penguins tracked while foraging from Tilgo Island. The average and maximum foraging radii around the colony were 22 km and 43 km, respectively. Our data indicate that trip ranges overlap areas proposed for industrial projects. Because Humboldt Penguins are sentinels of local ecosystem health, this underscores the value of expanding conservation zones in this unique marine location.

DOI

http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.48.2.1374

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Recommended Citation

Quispe, René; Lerma, Miriam; Luna, Nicolás; Portflitt-Toro, Matías; Serratosa, Juan; and Luna-Jorquera, Guillermo (2020) "Foraging Ranges of Humboldt Penguins Spheniscus humboldti from Tilgo Island: the Critical Need for Protecting a Unique Marine Habitat," Marine Ornithology: Vol. 48 : Iss. 2 , Article 14.
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.48.2.1374
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/marine_ornithology/vol48/iss2/14