Dr Martin Fortescue ‘The breeding biology of the Little Penguin on Bowen Island, Jervis Bay.’

Martin, until recently the Booderee National Park Resource Manager, will present his long-term study of the influence of climatic changes on the breeding success of the Little Penguin colony on Bowen Island.

A long-term study of the Little Penguin on Bowen Island revealed comparatively high breeding success for this large colony towards the northern limit of the range of the species. Similarly high success has been found at nearby Lion Island. The colony is prone to episodic broad-scale changes of ocean and climate, including the global scale El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO).  These climatic changes influence to varying degrees the breeding success of colonies on the east coast of Australia. The mean breeding success for first broods of the Bowen colony was 1.23 chicks/pair. This is the highest recorded for the species, and 20 percent of pairs lay second broods in the same season. Lion and Bowen Islands are characterised by distinctive native vegetation assemblages which provide high quality, formally protected, nesting habitat for penguins, and a marine environment predominantly influenced by the East Australia Current, contributing to higher breeding success. Reduced foraging range of Bowen Island penguins during critical stages of the breeding cycle compared with other colonies in the south suggest regional oceanographic characteristics may influence distribution of major diet items. There appears to be an inverse relationship between breeding success and latitude of  breeding colonies.