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A matter of history: effects of tourism on physiology, behaviour and breeding parameters in Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) at two colonies in Argentina

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Abstract

Increasing ecotourism activity in Argentine Patagonia has led to concerns about the effects of ecotourism on wildlife populations. Penguin breeding colonies are popular tourist destinations. While some species of penguins habituate to human visits, others exhibit negative effects due to disturbance. We studied the effects of tourism on Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) at San Lorenzo colony located on the Peninsula Valdes, Chubut, Argentina. We measured behavioural, physiological, and reproductive parameters in birds nesting in tourist-visited and non-visited areas. San Lorenzo has 11 years of visitation history and a low intensity of visitors (~10,000 annually). After 15 min of a simulated tourist visit, penguins in the tourist area showed fewer alternate head turns and lower plasma levels of the stress hormone corticosterone than penguins in a non-visited area. However, penguins showed similar baseline levels of corticosterone between areas as well as similar levels of integrated corticosterone expressed after an acute stressor. Penguin breeding success and chick growth were similar between areas. We compared these findings to results previously published from Punta Tombo, a colony with a longer history (+50 years) and high intensity of annual visitors (>120,000 people). Many (reproductive and behavioural parameters), but not all (physiological parameters), of our findings are similar. That a physiological difference exists may suggest that the previous history of human visitation plays an important role in the response of the birds. Thus, the continuous monitoring of tourist activity is important, as a history of visitation disturbance seems to have an effect on how birds respond to tourists.

Zusammenfassung

Steigender Ökotourismus im argentinischen Teil Patagoniens hat zu Bedenken über die Auswirkungen von Ökotourismus auf wildlebende Populationen geführt. Brutkolonien von Pinguinen sind beliebte Touristenziele. Während manche Pinguinarten sich an die Anwesenheit von Menschen gewöhnen, zeigen andere negative Reaktionen in Bezug auf Störungen. Wir untersuchten die Auswirkungen von Tourismus auf Magellanpinguine (Spheniscus magellanicus) in der San Lorenzo Kolonie auf der Halbinsel Valdes, Chubut in Argentinien. Dabei wurden Parameter zum Verhalten, Physiologie und Reproduktion von brütenden Vögeln in von Touristen besuchten und nicht besuchten Gebieten erfasst. San Lorenzo wird seit 11 Jahren von Touristen in geringer Intensität besucht (~10.000 Besucher jährlich). Nach 15 Minuten eines simulierten Besuchs zeigten die Pinguine weniger wechselnde Kopfbewegungen und niedrigere Plasmawerte des Stresshormons Kortikosteron als Pinguine in nicht besuchten Gebieten. Allerdings zeigten die Pinguine in beiden Gebieten gleiche Basiswerte von Kortikosteron und auch ähnliche Werte erhöhten Kortikosteronspiegels nach einer akuten Stresssituation. Der Bruterfolg der Pinguine sowie das Kükenwachstum war ähnlich in beiden Gebieten. Wir vergleichen diese Ergebnisse mit bereits publizierten Resultaten aus Punta Tombo, eine seit mehr als 50 Jahren besuchte Kolonie mit über 120.000 Besuchern im Jahr. Einige (Reproduktion und Verhalten), aber nicht alle (Physiologie) Ergebnisse der untersuchten Parameter sind ähnlich. Dass ein physiologischer Unterschied besteht, könnte darauf hindeuten, dass der vorausgegangene Zeitraum der Besuche durch Touristen eine wichtige Rolle hinsichtlich der Reaktion der Vögel spielt. Daher ist eine Fortführung des Monitorings der Tourismusaktivitäten von Bedeutung, da die zeitliche Entwicklung der Störung durch Besucher Auswirkungen darauf hat, wie die Vögel auf die Besucher reagieren.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Estancia San Lorenzo and Argentina Vision for the support in the field logistics, as well as all the volunteers who helped during the execution of the project. M. Garcia Asorey and N. Lisnizer provided help and advice in the statistical analysis. We thank L.M. Romero, Tufts University, for graciously allowing access to his laboratory for hormone analyses. Conservation, Research and Education Opportunities (CREO) funded the hormone analyses and the time in the US of C.V. for doing the laboratory analysis. Fairfield University sponsored the time in Argentina for B.G.W. CONICET funded the PhD scholarship of C.V. All handling and experimental procedures were approved by the Office of tourism and protected areas from Chubut province and Fauna and Flora department, Argentina and Fairfield Animal Care Committee (FACC, IACUC), Fairfield University, Fairfield CT, USA, under permits 00-014 to B.G.W. Export and import permits for biological samples were also obtained from the appropriate Argentine and US government agencies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centro Nacional Patagonico, CONICET, Blvd Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, 9120, Argentina

    Cecilia Villanueva & Marcelo Bertellotti

  2. Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, Bariloche, Río Negro, 8400, Argentina

    Cecilia Villanueva

  3. Biology Department, Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield, CT, 06824, USA

    Brian G. Walker

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  1. Cecilia Villanueva
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  2. Brian G. Walker
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Correspondence to Cecilia Villanueva.

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Communicated by P. H. Becker.

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Villanueva, C., Walker, B.G. & Bertellotti, M. A matter of history: effects of tourism on physiology, behaviour and breeding parameters in Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) at two colonies in Argentina. J Ornithol 153, 219–228 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-011-0730-1

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