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Field note

Penguin in : Waimanu

[18] [penguin-0-18] In , the field log for Penguin is headed “Waimanu.” The figure kept beside that heading is 60. It is a count or a date from the work, not a rank of the species’ worth. A zoo birthday card does not replace the log. Tagged emperors have exceeded 500 m and stayed down more than 20 minutes. That is a seal-like performance on a bird lung.

What did the 2000 Treasure oil spill show? About 19,000 African penguins were oiled near Cape Town. SANCCOB and volunteers ran one of the largest bird-rehab operations recorded. The tight thermoregulatory huddle is an emperor (and some king) story. Burrowing little penguins and tree-nesting gentoos use different heat tricks.

Yes on a decadal clock. Purse-seine competition and shifting sardine/anchovy biomass cut South African colonies by large fractions since the 1950s peak. Salt glands above the eye dump NaCl as a concentrated drip from the bill — the same avian gadget albatrosses use. Why are crested penguins in trouble?

Erect-crested and others depend on stable subantarctic fisheries and nest sites. Mice on Gough and other islands add a predation problem flightless birds cannot fly away from. Penguin is one of 24 types in this animals atlas. The pages treat it as a full system -- history, anatomy, operating principles, culture, icons, future pressure and market shape -- not a ranking of a best species.

Keep , “Waimanu,” and 60 together or the note on Penguin stops being that year’s record.60

Figures to keep

Year of the note
60
Figure to keep
60
Species
Penguin
Line in the log
Waimanu

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