Species exhibit different strategies in response to environmental variety throughout the annual cycle, with potentially different foraging behaviours during breeding and non-breeding seasons. While the winter non-breeding period frees little penguins (Eudyptula minor) from facultative central place foraging during chick-rearing, they remain largely resident, frequently returning to their burrows. Surprisingly, despite the non-breeding being characterized by higher adult mortality, relatively little is known of the foraging behaviour of little penguins during this period. The present study determined the at-sea movements and diving behaviour of little penguins from Seal Island, northern Bass strait, during 3 non-breeding periods (2020, 2021, 2023). In addition, the influence of environmental parameters on habitat use was investigated. The results revealed 15.4% of foraging trip durations were >1 day, consistent to previous reported data. While inter-annual differences in at-sea movements in foraging trips lasting less than 1 day were observed, no differences were found in at-sea movements between sexes. Bathymetry and sea surface temperature showed significant influences on the time spent in area, with individuals spending more time in deeper areas and in areas with lower sea surface temperatures. Diving behaviour was found to differ between sexes and years with males diving deeper than females and dives being shallower in 2023 compared to 2021. Sexual differences in diving behaviour has been reported before in little penguins and might be due to slight sexual dimorphisms.
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