Abstract
Marine top predators living in sympatry tend to use their environment differentially, thereby reducing niche overlap. Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) and gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) coexist at Martillo Is., Argentina. During the 2014, 2015 and 2017 breeding seasons a total of thirty-one Magellanic and eleven gentoo penguins were equipped with GPS-TDR loggers to record foraging trips. Both species dove to similar maximum depths with analogous effort (dives per hour). Magellanics, however, undertook longer trips and travelled further away from the colony (25 h and 43 km vs. 10 h and 20 km on average, respectively). Gentoos on the other hand, performed longer dives, had a higher percentage of “U” shaped dives and spent more time during the bottom phase of the dive. Gentoos foraged exclusively within an area close to the colony and in waters not deeper than 80 m. Magellanics had more variability in their behaviors and were not associated to a specific depth or distance from the colony. The ecological circumstances of both species (targeted prey and surrounding environment) suffice to explain the particular behaviors of both species independently from the presence of the other. Gentoos seem to focus on benthic prey which remains stable in this environment throughout the year, and Magellanics behave more opportunistically searching for pelagic prey during early chick rearing. Competition may not be always shaping coexistence of species of similar trophic positions and behaviors. Particularly, if resources are not limited, both species can behave in ways they find optimal without factoring the coexistence of the other species.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adams NJ, Klages NT (1989) Temporal variation in the diet of the gentoo penguin Pygoscelis papua at sub-Antarctic Marion Island. Waterbirds 12:30–36. https://doi.org/10.2307/1521309
Barger CP, Young RC, Will A, Ito M, Kitaysky AS (2016) Resource partitioning between sympatric seabird species increases during chick-rearing. Ecosphere. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1447
Baylis AMM, Crofts S, Wolfaardt AC (2013) Population trends of gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua breeding at the Falklands Islands. Mar Ornithol 41:1–5
BirdLife International (2018a) Pygoscelis papua. The IUCN red list of threatened species 2018: e.T22697755A132600694. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697755A132600694.en. Accessed 1 Nov 2019
BirdLife International (2018b) Spheniscus magellanicus. The IUCN red list of threatened species 2018: e.T22697822A132605485. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22697822A132605485.en. Accessed 1 Nov 2019
Boersma D (2008) Penguins as marine sentinels. Bioscience 58:597–607. https://doi.org/10.1641/b580707
Bruno DO, Victorio MF, Acha M, Fernández D (2017) Fish early life stages associated with giant kelp forests in sub-Antarctic coastal waters (Beagle Channel, Argentina). Polar Biol 41:365–375. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-017-2196-y
Capitán JA, Cuenda S, Alonso D (2015) How similar can co-occurring species be in the presence of competition and ecological drift? J R Soc Interface 12:20150604. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsif.2015.0604
Casarsa L (2005) Morfología y comportamiento de los cardúmenes de sardina fueguina (Sprattus fuegensis) en dos sectores característicos del Atlántico Sudoccidental. Bachellor thesis, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata
Ciancio J, Pascual M, Beauchamp D (2007) Energy density of Patagonian aquatic organisms and empirical predictions based on water content. Trans Am Fisheries Soc 136:1415–1422. https://doi.org/10.1577/T06-173.1
Cimino MA, Moline MA, Fraser WR, Patterson-Fraser DL, Oliver ML (2016) Climate-driven sympatry may not lead to foraging competition between congeneric top-predators. Sci Rep 6:18820. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep18820
Clausen A, Pütz K (2003) Winter diet and foraging range of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) from Kidney Cove, Falkland Islands. Polar Biol 26:32–40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-002-0443-2
Connell JH (1983) On the prevalence and relative importance of interspecific competition: evidence from field experiments. Am Nat 122:661–696
Crofts S, Stanworth A (2017) Falkland Islands seabird monitoring programme—annual report 2016/2017 (SMP24). Falklands Conservation, Stanley
Croxall J, Prince PA (1980) The food of Gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua and macaroni penguins Eudyptes chrysolophus at South Georgia. Ibis 122:245–253
De León LF, Podos J, Gardezi T, Herrel A, Hendry AP (2014) Darwin´s finches and their diet niches: the sympatric coexistence of imperfect generalists. J Evol Biol 27:1093–1104. https://doi.org/10.1111/JEB.12383
Diez M, Pérez-Barros P, Romero CM, Scioscia G, Tapella F, Cabreira AG, Madirolas A, Raya Rey A, Lovrich GA (2012) Pelagic swarms and beach strandings of the squat lobster Munida gregaria (Anomura: Munididae) in the Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego. Polar Biol 35:973–983. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1144-5
Diez M, Cabreira AG, Madirolas A, Lovrich GA (2016) Hydroacustical evidence of the expansion of pelagic swarms of Munida gregaria (Decapoda, Munididae) in the Beagle Channel and the Argentine Patagonian Shelf, and its relationship with habitat features. J Sea Res 114:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2016.04.004
Diez M, Rojas-Quiroga ML, Pérez-Barros P, Lezcano A, Florentín O, Lovrich GA (2016) “Gregaria” to “Subrugosa”, that is the question: shape changes under laboratory conditions in the pelagic morphotype of the squat lobster Munida gregaria (Decapoda: Anomura: Munididae). J Crustacean Biol 36:530–537. https://doi.org/10.1163/1937240X-00002442
Diez M, Cabreira AG, Madirolas A, Scioscia G, Schiavini A, Lovrich GA (2018) Winter is cool: spatio-temporal patterns of the squat lobster Munida gregaria and the Fueguian sprat Sprattus fuegensis in a sub-Antarctic estuarine environment. Polar Biol 41:2591–2605. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-018-2394-2
Dodino S, Hart T, Harris S, Raya Rey A (2018) Year-round colony attendance patterns for the gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) at Martillo Island, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Wilson J Ornithol 130:493–501. https://doi.org/10.1676/17-026.1
Durant JM, Krasnov YV, Nikolaeva NG, Stenseth NC (2012) Within and between species competition in a seabird community: statistical exploration and modeling of time-series data. Oecologia 169:685–694. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-011-2226-3
Elliott KH, Woo K, Gaston AJ, Benvenutt S, Dall’Antonia L, Davoren GK (2008) Seabird foraging behavior indicates prey type. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 354:289–303. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07221
Elliott KH, Shoji A, Campbell KL, Gaston AJ (2010) Oxygen stores and foraging behavior of two sympatric, planktivorous alcids. Aquat Biol 8:221–235. https://doi.org/10.3354/ab00236
Fauchald P, Erikstad KE (2002) Scale-dependent predator-prey interactions: the aggregative response of seabird to prey under variable prey abundance and patchiness. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 231:279–291. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps231279
Forcada J, Trathan PN, Reid K, Murphy EJ, Croxal P (2006) Contrasting population changes in sympatric penguin species in association with climate warming. Glob Change Biol 12:411–423. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2006.01108.x
Gandini P, Frere E, Boersma PD (1996) Status and conservation of Magellanic penguins Spheniscus magellanicus in Patagonia, Argentina. Bird Cons Int 6:307–316
Gatti RC (2011) Evolution is a cooperative process: the biodiversity-related niches differentiation theory (BNDT) can explain why. Theor Biol Forum 104:35–43
Grant PR (1986) Ecology and evolution of Darwin’s finches. Princeton University Press, Princeton
Grinnell J (1917) The niche-relationships of the California Thrasher. Auk 34:427–433. https://doi.org/10.2307/4072271
Handley (2017) Foraging ecology of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) at the Falkland Islands. Thesis, November 2017. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.10589.72167
Handley JM, Connan M, Baylis AMM, Brickle P, Pistorius P (2017) Jack of all prey, master of some: influence of habitat on the feeding ecology of a diving marine predator. Mar Biol 164:82. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-017-3113-1
Hobson KA, Clark RG (1992) Assessing avian diets using stable isotopes I: turnover of 13C in tissues. Condor 94:181–188. https://doi.org/10.2307/1368807
Hobson KA, Welch HE (1992) Determination of trophic relationships within a high Arctic marine food web using δ13C and δ15N analysis. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 23:9–18
Jackson S, Ryan PG (1986) Differential digestion rates of prey by white-chinned petrels (Procellaria aequinoctialis). Auk 103:617–619
Lescroël A, Bost CA (2005) Foraging under contrasting oceanographic conditions: the gentoo penguin at Kerguelen Archipelago. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 302:245–261. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps302245
Levy H, Clucas GV, Rogers AD, Leaché AD, Ciborowski KL, Polito MJ, Lynch HJ, Dunn MJ, Hart T (2016) Population structure and phylogeography of the gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) across the Scotia Arc. Ecol Evol 6:1834–1853. https://doi.org/10.1002/ECE3.1929
Lynch H (2013) Gentoo penguin. In: Borboroglu P, Boersma PD (eds) Penguins: natural history and conservation. University of Washington Press, Seattle. ISBN: 978-0-295-99284-6
Masello JF, Mundry R, Poisbleau M, Demongin L, Voigt CC, Wikelski M, Quillfeldt P (2010) Diving seabirds share foraging space and time within and among species. Ecosphere 1:1–2. https://doi.org/10.1890/ES10-00103.1
Mattern T, McPherson MD, Ellenberg U, van Heezik Y, Seddon PJ (2018) High definition video loggers provide new insights into behavior, physiology, and the oceanic habitat of a marine predator, the yellow-eyed penguin. Peer J 6:e5459. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5459
Miller AK, Karnovsky NJ, Trivelpiece WZ (2009) Flexible foraging strategies of gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua over 5 years in the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. Mar Biol 156:2527–2537. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-009-1277-z
Mori Y, Boyd IL (2004) Segregation of foraging between two sympatric penguin species: does rate maximization make the difference? Mar Ecol Prog Ser 275:241–249. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps27541
Phillips SJ, Dudik M, Schapire RE (2008) Maxent software for modeling species niches and distributions (version 3.4.1). Available from: https://biodiversityinformatics.amnh.org/open_source/maxent/. Accessed on 2018-12-4. Version 3.4.1
Pickett EP, Fraser WR, Patterson-Fraser DL, Cimino MA, Torres LG, Friedlaender AS (2018) Spatial niche partitioning may promote coexistence of Pygoscelis penguins as climate-induced sympatry occurs. Ecol Evol 8:9764–9778. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4445
Polito MJ, Trivelpieace WZ, Patterson WP, Karnovsky NJ, Reiss CS, Emslie SD (2015) Contrasting specialist and generalist patterns facilitate foraging niche partitioning in sympatric populations of Pygoscelis penguins. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 519:221–237. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11095
Pozzi LM, Garcia Borboroglu P, Boersma PD, Pascual MA (2015) Population regulation in Magellanic penugins: what determines changes in colony size? PlosOne 10:e0119002. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0119002
Pütz K, Ingham RJ, Smith JG (2000) Satellite tracking of the winter migration of Magellanic penguins Spheniscus magellanicus breeding in the Falklands Islands. Ibis 142:614–622. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.2000.tb04461.x
Pütz K, Ingham RJ, Smith JG, Croxall JP (2001) Population trends, breeding success and diet composition of gentoo Pygoscelis papua, magellanic Spheniscus magellanicus and rockhopper Eudyptes chrysocome penguins in the Falkland Islands. Polar Biol 24:793–807
Pütz K, Schiavini A, Raya Rey A, Lüthi BH (2007) Winter migration of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) from the southernmost distributional range. Marine Biol 152:1227–1235. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-007-0770-5
Pyke GH (1984) Optimal foraging theory: a critical review. Ann Rev Ecol Syst 15:523–575
Raya Rey A, Pütz K, Simeone A, Hiriart-Bertrand L, Reyes-Arriagada R, Riquelme V, Lüthi B (2013) Comparative foraging behaviour of sumpatric Humboldt and Magellanic penguins reveals species-specific and sex-specific strategies. Emu 113:145–153. https://doi.org/10.1071/MU12040
Raya Rey A, Rosciano N, Liljesthrom M, Sáenz Samaniego R, Schiavini A (2014) Species-specific population trends detected for penguins, gulls and cormorants over 20 years in sub-Antarctic Fuegian Archipelago. Polar Biol 37:1343–1360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-014-1526-6
R Core Team (2018) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna
Riccialdelli L, Newsome SD, Fogel ML, Fernández DA (2017) Trophic interactions and food web structure of a subantarctic marine food web in the Beagle Channel: Bahía Lapataia, Argentina. Polar Biol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-016-2007-x
Robertson GS, Bolton M, Grecian WJ, Wilson LJ, Davies W, Monaghan P (2014) Resource partitioning in three congeneric sympatrically breeding seabirds: foraging areas and prey utilization. Auk 131:434–446. https://doi.org/10.1642/AUK-13-243.1
Rosciano N, Polito MJ, Raya Rey A (2016) Do penguins share? Evidence of foraging niche segregation between but not within two sympatric, central-place foragers. Mar Ecol Prog Series 548:249–262. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11689
Sala JE, Wilson RP, Frere E, Quintana F (2014) Flexible foraging for finding fish: variable diving patterns in Magellanic penguins Spheniscus magellanicus from different colonies. J Ornithol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-014-1065-5
Scioscia G, Raya Rey A, Sáenz Samaniego R, Florentìn O, Schiavini ACM (2014) Intra- and interannual variation in the diet of the Magellanic penguin (Spheniscus magellanicus) at Martillo Island, Beagle Channel. Polar Biol 37:1421–1433. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-014-1532-8
Scioscia G, Raya Rey AN, Schiavini A (2016) Breeding biology of Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) at the Beagle Channel: interannual variation and its relationship with foraging behavior. J Ornithol 157:773–785. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-016-1341-7
Scolaro JA, Wilson R, Laurenti S, Keirspel M, Gallelli H, Upton JA (1999) Feeding preferences of the Magellanic penguin over its breeding range in Argentina. Waterbirds 22:104–110. https://doi.org/10.2307/1521999
Shoji A, Elliott K, Fayet A, Boyle D, Perrins C, Guillford T (2015) Foraging behavior of sympatric razorbills and puffins. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 520:257–267. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11080
Simeone A, Luna-Jorquera G, Bernal M, Garthe S, Sepúlveda F, Villablanca R, Ellenberg U, Contreras M, Muñoz J, Ponce T (2003) Breeding distribution and abundance of seabirds on islands off north-central Chile. Revista Chilena de Historia Natural 76:323–333. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0716-078X2003000200016
Skewgar E, Boersma PD, Simeone A (2014) Winter migration of Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) along the southeastern Pacific. Waterbirds 37:203–210. https://doi.org/10.1675/063.037.0208
Stokes DL, Boersma PD, Davis L (1998) Satellite tracking of Magellanic penguin migration. The Condor 100:376–381. https://doi.org/10.2307/1370280
Tarroux A, Lydersen C, Trathan PN, Kovacs KM (2018) Temporal variation in trophic relationships among three congeneric penguin species breeding in sympatry. Ecol Evol 8:3660–3674. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3937
Trivelpiece WZ, Trievelpiece SG, Volkman NJ (1987) Ecological segregation of Adélie, gentoo and chinstrap penguins at King George Island, Antarctica. Ecology 68:351–361
Weimerskirch H, Shaffer SA, Tremblay Y, Costa DP, Gadenne H, Kato A, Ropert-Coudert Y, Sato K, Aurioles D (2009) Species- and sex- specific differences in foragiong behavior and foraging zones in blue-footed and brown boobies in the Gulf of California. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 391:267–278. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps07981
Wilson RP, Pütz K, Peters G, Culik B, Scolaro JA, Charrassin J-B, Ropert-Coudert Y (1997) Long-term attachment of transmitting and recording devices to penguins and other seabirds. Wildl Soc Bull 25:101–106
Wilson RP, Alvarrez B, Latorre L, Adelung D, Culik B, Bannasch R (1998) The movements of gentoo penguins Pygoscelis papua from Ardley Island, Antarctica. Polar Biol 19:407–413
Wilson RP (2010) Resource partitioning and niche hyper-volume overlap on free-living Pygoscelid penguins. Funct Ecol 24:646–657
Young HS, McCauley DJ, Dirzo R, Dunbar RB, Shaffer SA (2010) Niche partitioning among and within sympatric tropical seabirds revealed by stable isotope analysis. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 416:285–294. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps08756
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the Antarctic Research Trust (ART), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT, PICT 2014 1870) for funding to do this research. We also thank CONICET for covering salaries of SH, GS and ARR. In addition, we are grateful for logistical assistance from PIRATOUR for transportation to Martillo Isl. and U. Balza, A. Schiavini, S. Dodino for assistance in the field. We also thank reviewers for helping us to reach the high standard for publication in this journal.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Funding for this study was provided from a Proyecto de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (PICT) provided by the Agencia Nacional de promoción científica y tecnológica, from the Antarctic Research Trust (ART) and from the Wildlife Conservation Society.
Ethical approval
Permissions were obtained for this research from the province of Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, Resol. SUB. P.A. y S. N 014/2017 under the following project: “Ecología trófica y genética del ensamble de aves marinas del Canal Beagle e Isla de los Estados: variación espacial y temporal”. Sampling protocol complied with ethical standards to preserve animal welfare.
Data availability statement
The GPS data used in this manuscript will be available in the birdlife seabird tracking database https://www.seabirdtracking.org/.
Additional information
Responsible Editor: P. Casale.
Reviewed by undisclosed experts.
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Electronic supplementary material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sabrina, H., Gabriela, S., Klemens, P. et al. Niche partitioning between coexisting gentoo Pygoscelis papua and Magellanic penguins Spheniscus magellanicus at Martillo Island, Argentina. Mar Biol 167, 105 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-03722-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-020-03722-w