Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Field metabolic rates of instrumented Adélie penguins using double-labelled water

  • Published:
Journal of Comparative Physiology B Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) carrying dummy instruments were used to determine field metabolic rates using double-labelled water. All penguins injected with double-labelled water showed a marked loss of body mass (-4.5%) during the period of the experiments (20–131 h), irrespective of the time of the breeding season. Total body water averaged 57.3% and water flux estimates of field metabolic rates correlated with double-labelled water estimates of field metabolic rate (r 2=0.68), indicating that Adélie penguins do not ingest significant amounts of sea water. Brooding Adélie penguins had a mean field metabolic rate of 10.1 W·kg-1 and at sea a field metabolic rate of 13.3 W·kg-1, both of which compare well with previously published estimates based on time/activity budgets and respirometry. Mean field metabolic rate in penguins with crèching chicks was 14.1 W·kg-1, and the birds spent 65 h absent from the nest as opposed to previous estimates of 7.1 W·kg-1 and 21 h. The effects of weather, disturbance and manipulation on the behaviour and field metabolic rate of penguins late in the breeding season are discussed. Adélie penguins (crèching chicks) equipped with externally attached instruments spent more time absent from the nest than noninstrumented controls (76 vs 54 h), but had a lower field metabolic rate.

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.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ANOVA:

analysis of variance

DLW:

double-labelled water

FMR:

field metabolic rate

MR:

metabolic rate

RMR:

resting metabolic rate

TBW:

total body water

VSMOW:

Vienna standard mean ocean water

WF:

water flux

References

  • Brown CR (1984) Resting metabolic rate and energetic cost of incubation in Macaroni penguins (Eudyptes crysolophus) and rockhopper penguins (E. chrysocome) Comp Biochem Physiol 77A: 345–350

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown CR (1985) Energetic cost of moult in Macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) and rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome). J Comp Physiol B 155:515–520

    Google Scholar 

  • Butler PJ, Woakes AJ (1984) Heart rate and aerobic metabolism in Humboldt penguins Spheniscus humboldtii during voluntary dives. J Exp Biol 108: 419–428

    Google Scholar 

  • Chappell MA, Morgan KR, Bucher TL (1990) Weather, microclimate, and energy costs of thermoregulation for breading Adélie penguins. Oecologia 83: 420–426

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa DP, Dann P, Disher W (1986) Energy requirements of free-ranging little penguin, Eudyptula minor. Comp Biochem Physiol 85A: 135–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Costa DP (1987) Methods for studying the energetics of freely diving animals. Can J Zool 66: 45–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Culik B, Wilson RP (1991a) Energetics of under-water swimming in Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae). J Comp Physiol B 161: 285–291

    Google Scholar 

  • Culik B, Wilson RP (1991b) Penguins crowded out? Nature 351: 340

    Google Scholar 

  • Culik B, Wilson RP (1991c) Swimming energetics and performance of instrumented Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae). J Exp Biol 158: 355–368

    Google Scholar 

  • Culik B, Adelung D, Heise M, Wilson RP, Coria NR, Spairani HJ (1989) In situ heart rate and activity of incubating Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) Polar Biol 9: 365–370

    Google Scholar 

  • Culik B, Woakes AJ, Adelung D, Wilson RP, Coria NR, Spairani HJ (1990a) Energy requirements of Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) chicks. J Comp Physiol B 160: 61–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Culik B, Adelung D, Woakes AJ (1990b) The effect of disturbance on the heart rate and behaviour of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) during the breeding season. In: Kerry KR, Hempel G (eds) Antarctic ecosystems. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg

    Google Scholar 

  • Culik B, Wilson RP, Dannfeld R, Adelung D, Spairani HJ, Coria NRC (1991) All three pygoscelids in a swim canal. Polar Biol 11: 277–282

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis LS, McCaffrey FT (1986) Survival analysis of eggs and chicks of Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae). Auk 103: 379–388

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis RW, Kooyman GL, Croxall JP (1983) Water flux and estimated metabolism of free-ranging gentoo and Macaroni penguins at South Georgia. Polar Biol 2: 41–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis RW, Croxall JP, O'Connell MJ (1989) The reproductive energetics of gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) and Macaroni (Eudyptes crysolophus) penguins at South Georgia, South Atlantic Ocean. J Anim Ecol 58: 59–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Fancy SG, Blanchard JM, Holleman DF, Kokjer KJ, White RG (1986) Validation of doubly-labelled water using a ruminant. Am J Physiol 251: R143-R149

    Google Scholar 

  • Gales R, Williams C, Ritz D (1990) Foraging behaviour of the little penguin (Eudyptula minor): initial results and assessment of instrument effect. J Zool Lond 220: 61–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Kooyman GL, Davis RW, Croxall JP, Costa DP (1982) Diving depths and energy requirements of king penguins. Science 217: 726–727

    Google Scholar 

  • Lifson N, McClintock RM (1966) Theory of use of the turnover rates of body water for measuring energy and material balance. J Theor Biol 12: 46–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Myrcha A, Kaminski P (1982) Changes in body calorific values during nestling development of penguins of the genus Pygoscelis. Pol Polar Res 3: 81–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagy KA, Costa DP (1980) Water flux in animals: analysis of potential errors in the tritiated water method. Am J Physiol 238: R454-R465

    Google Scholar 

  • Nagy KA, Siegfried WR, Wilson RP (1984) Energy utilization by free-ranging jackass penguins Spheniscus demersus. Ecology 65: 1648–1655

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinshow B, Fedak MA, Schmidt-Nielson K (1977) Terrestrial locomotion in penguins: it costs more to waddle. Science 195: 592–594

    Google Scholar 

  • Speakman JR (1987) Calculation of CO2 production in doubly-labelled water studies. J Theor Biol 126: 101–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Tatner P (1990) Deuterium and oxygen-18 abundance in birds: implications for DLW energetics studies. Am J Physiol 258: R804-R812

    Google Scholar 

  • Trivelpiece WZ, Trivelpiece SG, Volkman NJ (1987) Ecological segregation of Adélie, gentoo and chinstrap penguins at King George Island, Antarctica. Ecology 68: 351–361

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson GJ (1983) Distribution and abundance of Antarctic and Subantarctic penguins: A synthesis of current knowledge. Biomass Sci Ser 4: 1–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson RP, Culik B (1991) The cost of a hot meal: facultative specific dynamic action may ensure temperature homeostasis in endotherms. Comp Biochem Physiol 100A: 151–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson RP, Wilson MP (1989) Tape: a package attachment technique for waterbirds. Wildl Soc Bull 17: 77–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson RP, Coria NR, Spairani HJ, Adelung D, Culik BM (1989) Human-induced behaviour in Adélie penguins. Polar Biol 10:77–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson RP, Culik BM, Adelung D, Spairani HJ, Coria NR (1991a) Depth utilisation by breeding Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae at Esperanza Bay, Antarctica. Mar Biol 109: 181–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson RP, Culik B, Dannfeld R, Adelung D (1991b) People in Antarctica; how much do Adélie penguins Pygoscelis adeliae care? Polar Biol 11: 363–370

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Meereskunde, Abt. Meereszoologie, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, W-2300, Kiel, FRG

    Boris M. Culik & Rory P. Wilson

Authors
  1. Boris M. Culik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rory P. Wilson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Culik, B.M., Wilson, R.P. Field metabolic rates of instrumented Adélie penguins using double-labelled water. J Comp Physiol B 162, 567–573 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00264819

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00264819

Key words

Search

Navigation