Diet plasticity and links to changing foraging behaviour in the conservation of subantarctic yellow‐eyed penguins ( Megadyptes antipodes )

Subantarctic yellow-eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes) exhibit significant diet plasticity, shifting between lower trophic level prey during El Niño conditions and more diverse, offshore prey under La Niña. This dietary variation correlates with breeding success and survival, suggesting prey availability is a critical limiting factor, particularly under climate-driven marine environmental changes. The study analyzed stable isotopes from blood and feather samples (n=63) of 25 breeding penguins on Enderby Island (Auckland Islands, New Zealand) between 2015-2018, revealing year-to-year dietary shifts linked to climate oscillations. These findings underscore the urgent need for conservation strategies that account for prey distribution dynamics and climate impacts on this endangered species' long-term population stability.

Muller, C. G., Chilvers, B. L., French, R. K., & Battley, P. F. (2022). Diet plasticity and links to changing foraging behaviour in the conservation of subantarctic yellow‐eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes). Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 32(5), 753–765. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.3797