African penguins are among the most threatened seabird species globally. A new study published in “The British Ecological Society” talks of the steps taken from the 2013 African Penguin Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP) which contained strategies to conserve the species habitat and encourage a growing population. The study showed that artificial nests increase breeding success in African Penguins. This progress has happened over the last 14 years.

Dramatic Decline in African Penguin Populations

The lack of food, shortage of water, erratic, unpredictable changes to their climate and habitat degradation, oil spills, reckless disposal of toxic wastes, and human disturbances negatively affected African Penguins’ natural cycle of life. It hindered not only their survival but also their developmental stages and mating seasons. The African Penguin Population radically dropped from 93,000 breeding pairs in 1956 to just 9,900 in 2023.

Some of the leading causes of the decline in population are owed to several factors such as“The main causes of the recent decline in African penguin numbers are poor food availability, oil spills, underwater noise pollution and predation,” said Professor Lorien Pichegru.

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Types of Artificial Nests Created Over the Years

The study followed the impact of the 2013 guidelines, which included the building and management of artificial nests across eight different colonies. Wooden triangle-shaped boxes made of thick pine plywood varnished on the outer surface with openings for ventilation have been monitored since 2001 and are part of the longest existing monitoring programme on African penguins.

The three other types of nests deployed were cement nests made of a mixture of fibreglass launched in 2011, and fibreglass burrows manufactured from fibreglass mesh and resin by the Dyer Island Conservation Trust in 2005, which mimic the shape of natural penguin burrows. Ceramic nests are the latest artificial nest designs for African penguins, and they were created in 2016.

Artificial Nests Increase Breeding Success in African Penguins

Artificial nests have been deployed for over 14 years, with sufficient data recorded and an understanding of the impact. It can be said that the results are mixed depending on the colony and the type of nest tested. However, when all data collected over the 14 years is put into a comprehensible manner, the initiative of artificial nests has, in fact, had a positive impact by increasing the breeding output of birds by 16.5% over naturally occurring nests. Chick survival rates are slightly higher compared to egg survival rates within Artificial nests.

Professor Lorien Pichegru, lead researcher from the Institute for Coastal and Marine Research at Nelson Mandela University, highlighted that “the most successful artificial nest designs were tailored to specific colonies, as each colony encountered unique threats.”

Wooden boxes introduced on Robben Island in 2001 improved fledging success compared to nests under vegetation, while fibreglass nests showed mixed results across different colonies. On Robben Island, fibreglass nests performed better than vegetation nests, but outcomes were inconsistent on other islands, such as Bird Island and Dyer Island.

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The Need for Comprehensive Conservation Strategies

“We also weren’t always able to follow the fate of individual birds or breeding pairs closely over multiple years in this study,” said Dr Richard Sherley, a co-author from the University of Exeter.

This exposes one of the many problems with conservation strategies. Researchers warn that the rate of success in breeding and producing offspring in natural nests may have been slightly underestimated in the study due to the logistical challenges of monitoring them.

Furthermore, the new study only provides an incomplete solution. According to Professor Pichegru, who was aware of the mishaps in data, future research in this area could make artificial nest designs even more effective. “Understanding the mechanisms by which artificial nests improve breeding success at different colonies could help to improve future artificial nest designs. For instance, does it strengthen the protection from predators, or does it decrease heat loads on eggs or something else?” she added.

It hints at the fact that there is yet a lot to be known when it comes to why exactly penguins find these artificial nests appealing, calling for further research and better endeavors in this area to understand better and build more accurate conservation strategies.

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