QUESTION:  
I was wondering how the scientists get close enough to the penguins 
and penguin chicks without disturbing their natural habitat. Also, 
if the penguins did see the scientists would it have an affect on 
their ways of behaving?  

        Thank you very much!

            From Jeffrey L., 8th grader 
            Ridgeview Middle School, Atlanta, Georgia


ANSWER from Donna Patterson, Research Assistant to Dr. Fraser
            Wed, 12 Feb 1997 00:21:14 -0500

Hello Jeffrey, 

Great question!  Researchers that work on penguins have the advantage 
that penguins are closely associated with a territory during the 
breeding season (October through February).  During these months, we 
can approach the birds who are nesting with very little disturbance 
to the occupants of these territories.   We apply flipper bands that 
are color coded to adult penguins so we can identify a group of 
nests within a colony during the breeding season.  This allows us to 
observe the nests closely without handling the birds any longer than 
it takes to put the band on (about 1 minute).  We can then record the 
dates of egg laying, hatching, and creching (when the chick goes into 
the "nursery" group).  We can also see if nests at the edges of 
colonies lose their eggs or chicks at a different rate than the ones 
in the middle, depending on where we select the groups of study 
nests.   This can tell us if  something is happening differently 
at the edges than in the center- like predation by skuas or human 
disturbances.   We look at breeding success in colonies that are 
visited by humans (tourists and researchers) and compare them with 
ones that are not visited at all (or very little).

When you approach a penguin colony, the birds on the edges (who tend 
to be younger, less experienced nesters) sometimes react more than 
the ones in the middle.  Some birds do not show a reaction at all, 
regardless of position.  At Palmer, it seems that the habitat 
qualities (like snowfall, predation, and aspect) have more influence 
on the success and behaviour of nesting penguins than the approach of 
scientists.  It is still very important to pay close attention 
to the penguins while we are working so that we are certain not to 
cause any disturbance.   


Thanks for your great question!
Donna