Factors Influencing Little Penguin Eudyptula minor Egg Success on Matiu-Somes Island, New Zealand

Abstract

Generalised linear models and comparisons of Akaike’s information criterion were used to determine whether variables such as the nest type, clutch size, date and year of laying influenced the success of Little Penguin eggs on Matiu-Somes Island. Nest type was the only variable tested for which a detectable relationship with the fate of an egg was found. Productivity of a colony may be enhanced through identifying those nest types producing the greatest number of offspring and ensuring that the habitat in which they are found is protected. The conservation implications of these findings are discussed with special reference to the Matiu-Somes Island colony and the ramifications of the ecological restoration project that is being undertaken on the island.