It is difficult to distinguish males from females among King Penguins, but a new Ibis study reveals that King Penguins can be sexed with an accuracy of 100% based on the sex-specific syllable pattern of their vocalisations.
It is difficult to distinguish males from females among King Penguins, but a new Ibis study reveals that King Penguins can be sexed with an accuracy of 100% based on the sex-specific syllable pattern of their vocalisations. Using the beak length, King Penguin individuals can be sexed with an accuracy of 79%.
The new findings may help investigators understand how King Penguins choose mates, and they offer a cost- effective, non-invasive technique for researchers to sex King Penguins in the field.
"The sex-specific syllable pattern in King Penguin calls is a very interesting finding, both from an evolutionary perspective as it is rare in non-passerine species, but also because it allows researchers with very little training to reliably identify the gender of King Penguins without handling the individuals," said lead author Hannah Kriesell, of the Centre Scientifique de Monaco and the University of Strasbourg.
Additional Information
Link to Study: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/ibi.12577
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Ibis publishes original papers, reviews and short communications reflecting the forefront of research activity in ornithological science, but with special emphasis on the conservation, ecology, ethology and systematics of birds. Ibis aims to publish as rapidly as is consistent with the requirements of peer-review and normal publishing constraints.
Penny Smith
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