Nest-Site Selection by Yellow-Eyed Penguins

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Abstract
Selection of nests by Yellow-eyed Penguins (Megadyptes antipodes) is influenced primarily by vegetation. Penguins selected nests with a dense vegetative cover, particularly at 50-100 cm above the ground; nests had a high degree of lateral concealment regardless of the vegetation type. The Yellow-eyed Penguin is a large-boded penguin breeding in a temperate climate. Overhead vegetative cover provides protection from the sun for both brooding adults and chicks. Lateral concealment due to a solid nest back and surrounding vegetation results in nests that are visually isolated from their neighbors. Internest distances decrease with increasing density of vegetation, reflecting the availability of sites with suitable overhead vegetative cover.