Winter Migration of Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) Along the Southeastern Pacific

Little is known about migration of Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) in the Pacific Ocean. We used satellite telemetry to determine the post-breeding movement patterns of recently molted male Magellanic Penguins (n = 6) at Punihuil, southern Chile, in 2006. Five individuals went north, stopping at two separate wintering areas along the coast, while one went 300 km south to waters inland of the island of Chiloe, Chile. The most commonly used wintering area (n = 3) was 600-800 km north of the breeding colony, near the Gulf of Arauco, Chile, where high levels of primary productivity are common. Magellanic Penguin wintering areas coincided with important areas for other seabirds and overlapped with human fisheries.