Preliminary study on the breedings of chinstrap and gentoo penguins at Barton Peninsula, King George Island

A preliminary survey on 2 species of penguins, chinstrap and gentoo was made in the penguin rookery on Barton peninsula near King Sejong Station during 1992/93 breeding season based on the CCAMLR standard method. A total of 96 nests for chinstraps and 121 nests for gentoos were monitored to document breeding chronology and give a measure of breeding success. The nests to be monitored were selected from several locations scattered in the colony. The nests were visited by 2-3 day interval and the change in the nest content were followed. Chicks were hatched out at 50% of the monitored nests on 18. December and 25, December respectively for gentoos and chinstraps. The number of chicks per nest which were raised successfully to the creche stage was used as a measure of breeding success. Of the whole nests which had been checked from the beginning of the observation. 1.45 chinstrap chicks and 1.32 gentoo chicks were raised to the creche stage. Of the nests which were active until the conclusion of the breeding success measurement. 1.67 chinstrap chicks and 1.54 gentoo chicks reached the creche stage. The growth of chicks were measured from the beginning of January to the beginning of February. Chinstraps grew from 0.61 to 3.43 kg and gentoos from 0.56 to 4.59 kg during the measurement period. After the chicks entered late creche stage, they were banded to determine the survival and return rates in the following years. Some suggestion for the further research in this rookery are also mentioned.