Variable breeding success and its implication in the conservation of endangered yellow‐eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) at the New Zealand subantarctic Auckland Islands

Abstract

Abstract Knowledge of breeding success is essential for conservation, as it is required for monitoring populations and survival trends. Seabird reproductive success can be negatively affected by prey availability, marine‐based stochasticity, extreme weather events, individual breeders' performance and direct threats such as disease, predation and fisheries interactions. The endangered yellow‐eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) is declining in mainland New Zealand, however, little is known about its breeding success in the subantarctic where the majority of the species breeds. Yellow‐eyed penguin breeding success data were collected from a total of 167 nests on subantarctic Enderby Island, Auckland Islands, New Zealand, from the 2015 to 2017 breeding seasons. This included egg and chick mortality and fledging rates, plus a wider sample of the fledgling condition of 276 chicks. Fledging success was higher than in mainland New Zealand in some years, although chicks were smaller and lighter on average, highlighting the need for more information on juvenile survival probabilities in the subantarctic. Breeding success measures were similar in 2015 and 2016, but a large egg mortality in 2017 caused a significant reduction in breeding success that year. Such variability requires more investigation into the correlates of breeding success, including possible stressors such as foraging success, adverse weather and environmental effects, and pathogens. These results demonstrate the need for ongoing monitoring of yellow‐eyed penguin breeding success across the subantarctic in order to establish baselines for normal variation and to determine whether anthropogenic (manageable) factors may be contributing to low productivity. This research highlights an important consideration for endangered species conservation; that breeding success may not be consistent over time, or across a species' entire range. Additional monitoring of all breeding populations should be carried out to ensure up‐to‐date information is available to inform conservation management decisions for the species.