DarwinPlus053: Northern Rockhopper Penguin PIT Tag Data from Nightingale Island

Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, is the location for this dataset tracking Northern Rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes moseleyi). It comprises two datasets: a list of 530 adult and 100 chick PIT tags implanted from 2016 to 2019, and automated reader crossings from two pathways. The data was collected by a multi-institutional collaboration including RSPB, Tristan da Cunha government, and the British Antarctic Survey as part of the Darwin Plus-funded Project Pinnamin.

Use Cases

• Estimate annual survival rates based on automated PIT reader crossing data.
• Analyze age of first return to the colony for penguins marked as chicks.
• Examine seasonal variability in colony attendance patterns.
• Model penguin commuting behavior between the sea and colonies on Nightingale Island.

Strengths

• Data covers three breeding seasons (2016/17 to 2018/19).
• Includes 530 adult penguins and 100 chicks implanted with PIT tags.
• Data collection was a joint multi-institutional effort, suggesting standardized protocols.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Joint Nature Conservation Committee (via Darwin Plus Project 053).

Collection Method

PIT tags were implanted in penguins, and automated readers were placed on two main commuting pathways.

Time Range

Breeding seasons 2016/17, 2017/18, and 2018/19.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-14 09:48:09.287341; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha (37°25'S, 12°28'W).