Magellanic Penguin Breeding Phenology at Punta Tombo, 34-Year Study

Caroline D. Cappello and P. D. Boersma's 2021 Ecology paper provides longitudinal data on Magellanic penguin breeding phenology from the Punta Tombo colony in Argentina. The dataset covers 34 years of observations, from 1983 onward, tracking arrival, egg-laying, hatch, and fledge dates. It was used to analyze the consequences of delayed breeding and a compressed nestling period on chick growth and fledgling condition.

Use Cases

• Modeling phenological trends in breeding dates based on long-term observational records.
• Analyzing correlations between hatch dates and fledgling physical characteristics like bill size and body condition.
• Studying the impact of a compressed nestling period on chick growth rates and recruitment likelihood.

Strengths

• Data spans a 34-year period, providing a long-term perspective on phenological change.
• Study quantifies specific annual trends, such as median hatch dates shifting 0.29 days later each year.
• Analysis links phenological shifts to fitness outcomes, including fledgling condition and recruitment.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to a single colony study at Punta Tombo.

Provenance

Source

University of Washington (Caroline D. Cappello) and associated researchers.

Collection Method

Long-term field observations at the Punta Tombo penguin colony.

Time Range

34 years, starting from 1983.

Geography

Punta Tombo, Argentina.