Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The long engagement of the emperor penguin

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Polar Biology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In birds, courtship is generally short relative to the whole breeding cycle. Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri), however, are an exception as their courtship period is much longer (ca. 6 weeks) than the courtship of other penguin species. This strategy may appear surprising, as it is especially costly to fast and endure drastic climatic conditions for long periods at the colony (1.5 and up to 4 months for females and males, respectively). We examined here the reasons of this extended courtship period and found that emperor penguins returned earlier to the colony when primary oceanic production before breeding was high. This suggests that emperor penguins return to the colony as soon as primary oceanic production in summer allows them to replenish their body reserves. The extended period of time spent at the colony during courtship may therefore result from an evolutionary process that confers advantages to emperor penguins that arrive earlier at the colony by reducing predation risks and offering better chances of securing a partner.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ainley DG, Ballard G, Karl BJ, Dugger KM (2005) Leopard seal predation rates at penguin colonies of different size. Antarct Sci 17:335–340. doi:10.1017/S0954102005002750

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ancel A, Visser H, Handrich Y, Masman D, Le Maho Y (1997) Energy saving in huddling penguins. Nature 385:304–305. doi:10.1038/385304a0

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ancel A, Beaulieu M, Le Maho Y, Gilbert C (2009) Emperor penguin mates: keeping together in the crowd. Proc Roy Soc B Biol Sci 276:2163–2169. doi:10.1098/rspb.2009.0140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ballard G, Ainley DG (2005) Killer whale harassment of Adélie penguins at ross Island. Antarct Sci 17:385–386. doi:10.1017/S0954102005002828

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bried J, Jiguet F, Jouventin P (1999) Why do Aptenodytes penguins have high divorce rates? Auk 116:504–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charnov EL, Krebs JR (1974) On clutch size and fitness. Ibis 116:217–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Croxall JP, Prince PA (1979) Antarctic seabird and seal monitoring studies. Polar Rec 19:573–595

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dunn PO, Winkler DW, Whittingham LA, Hannon SJ, Robertson RJ (2011) A test of the mismatch hypothesis: how is timing of reproduction related to food abundance in an aerial insectivore? Ecology 92:450–461. doi:10.1890/10-0478.1

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Foxton P (1956) The distribution of the standing crop of zooplankton in the southern ocean. Discov Rep 28:191–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert C, Robertson G, Le Maho Y, Naito Y, Ancel A (2006) Huddling behavior in emperor penguins: dynamics of huddling. Physiol Behav 88:479–488. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2006.04.024

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • González-Solís J, Becker PH, Wendeln H (1999) Divorce and asynchronous arrival in common sterns, Sterna hirundo. Anim Behav 58:1123–1129. doi:10.1006/anbe.1999.1235

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Groscolas R, Jallageas M, Goldsmith A, Assenmacher I (1986) The endocrine control of reproduction and molt in male and female emperor (Aptenodytes forsteri) and Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae) penguins. I. Annual changes in plasma levels of gonadal steroids and LH. Gen Comp Endocrinol 62:43–53. doi:10.1016/0016-6480(86)90092-4

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gunnarsson TG, Gill JA, Sigurbjörnsson T, Sutherland WJ (2004) Pair bonds: arrival synchrony in migratory birds. Nature 431:646. doi:10.1038/431646a

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hart TJ (1942) Phytoplancton periodicity in Antarctic surface waters. Discov Rep 21:261–356

    Google Scholar 

  • Hipfner JM, McFarlane-Tranquilla LA, Addison B (2010) Experimental evidence that both timing and parental quality affect breeding success in a zooplanktivorous seabird. Auk 127:195–203. doi:10.1525/auk.2009.09135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Isenmann P (1971) Contribution à l’éthologie et à l’écologie du manchot empereur (Aptenodytes forsteri Gray) à la colonie de Pointe Géologie (Terre Adélie). L’Oiseau et la RFO 40:136–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenouvrier S, Barbraud C, Weimerskirch H (2005) Long-term contrasted responses to climate of two Antarctic seabirds species. Ecology 86:2889–2903. doi:10.1890/05-0514

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jouventin P (1971) Comportement et structure sociale chez le manchot empereur. La Terre et la Vie 25:510–586

    Google Scholar 

  • Kooyman GL, Siniff DB, Stirling I, Bengtson JL (2004) Moult habitat, pre- and post-moult diet and post-moult travel of ross sea emperor penguin. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 267:281–290. doi:10.3354/meps267281

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kopczyńska EE, Savoye N, Dehairs F, Cardinal D, Elskens M (2007) Spring phytoplankton assemblages in the Southern ocean between Australia and Antarctica. Polar Biol 31:77–88. doi:10.1007/s00300-007-0335-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lambrechts MM, Blondel J, Maistre M, Perret P (1997) A single response mechanism is responsible for evolutionary adaptative variation in a bird’s laying date. P Natl Acad Sci USA 94:5153–5155. doi:10.1073/pnas.94.10.5153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lauriano G, Fortuna CM, Vacchi M (2007) Observation of killer whale (Orcinus orca) possibly eating penguins in Terra Nova Bay, Antarctica. Antarct Sci 19:95–96. doi:10.1017/S0954102007000132

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis S, Wanless S, Elston DA, Schultz MD, Mackley E, Du Toit M, Underhill JG, Harris MP (2006) Determinants of quality in a long-lived colonial species. J Anim Ecol 75:1304–1312. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2656.2006.01152.x

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liddle GM (1994) Interannual variation in the breeding biology of the Antarctic prion Pachyptila desolata at bird Island, South Georgia. J Zool 234:125–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marchant S, Higgins PJ (1990) Hanbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds, vol 1. Oxford University Press, Melbourne, Ratites to Ducks

    Google Scholar 

  • McMinn A, Ryan KG, Ralph PJ, Pankowski A (2007) Spring sea ice photosynthesis, primary productivity and biomass distribution in eastern Antarctica, 2002–2004. Mar Biol 151:985–995. doi:10.1007/s00227-006-0533-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monaghan P, Uttley JD, Burns MD (1992) Effect of changes in food availability on reproductive effort in Arctic terns Sterna paradisaea. Ardea 80:71–81

    Google Scholar 

  • Ninnes CE, Waas JR, Ling N, Nakagawa S, Banks JC, Bell DG, Bright A, Carey PW, Chandler J, Hudson QJ, Ingram JR, Lyall K, Morgan DKJ, Stevens MI, Wallace J, Mostl E (2011) Environmental influences on Adélie penguin breeding schedules, endocrinology, and chick survival. Gen Comp Endocrinol 173:139–147. doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2011.05.006

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Prévost J (1961) Ecologie du manchot empereur. Hermann Press, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharp PJ (1996) Strategies in avian breeding cycles. Anim Reprod Sci 42:505–513. doi:10.1016/0378-4320(96)01556-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • West K (2009) Animal behavior: animal courtship. Chelsea House Publications, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Zimmer I, Wilson RP, Gilbert C, Beaulieu M, Ancel A, Plötz J (2008) Foraging movements of emperor penguins at pointe géologie, Antarctica. Polar Biol 31:229–243. doi:10.1007/s00300-007-0352-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank the 109 and 137 IPEV programs for providing the phenological events occurring during the emperor penguin pairing period, B. Thierry for suggesting this paper, and S. Gallon for her help in revising the language. The manuscript benefited from critical comments by D. Piepenburg and three anonymous reviewers.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Strasbourg, IPHC, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087, Strasbourg, France

    André Ancel

  2. CNRS, UMR 7178, 67037, Strasbourg, France

    André Ancel

  3. Université Paris-Est, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, UMR 7179 CNRS MNHN, 7 avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94704, Maisons-Alfort, France

    Caroline Gilbert

  4. Biology I, University Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Michaël Beaulieu

Authors
  1. André Ancel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Caroline Gilbert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michaël Beaulieu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to André Ancel.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ancel, A., Gilbert, C. & Beaulieu, M. The long engagement of the emperor penguin. Polar Biol 36, 573–577 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1285-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1285-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation