Diet results from Adelie penguins at Bechervaise Island and Whitney Point, 2012-2013

Samples were collected during two stages of the breeding season: mid brood guard (Bechervaise Island-January 4-6th 2013, Whitney Point 23- 28th December 2012) and mid creche (23-26th January 2013). Scat samples were collected from breeding birds, chicks and non-breeders at Bechervaise Island and breeding birds and chicks at Whitney Point. 'Breeders' were identified as individuals brooding or provisioning a chick, whereas 'non-breeders' were usually pairs that had reoccupied the colony and were building new practice nests with no chick present.

Non-breeders in the colony include immature birds that have not yet bred and mature birds of breeding age that did not breed in a particular season (e.g. no partner or insufficient body condition) DNA from each sample was extracted and sequenced as per the protocols in the following paper: Jarman, S.N., McInnes, J.C., Faux, C., Polanowski, A.M., Marthick, J., Deagle, B.E., Southwell, C. and Emmerson, L. 2013 Adelie penguin population diet monitoring by analysis of food DNA in scats.