Nearly 200 brand-new beachfront homes just hit the market in beautiful Marcona, Peru… penguin homes that is.
As a member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, the Sedgwick County Zoo takes part in many conservation and species survival programs right here in our facilities. While the work we do here at the Zoo is extremely important, it is always a special opportunity to do off-site field work. Recently, Australia/South America bird keepers Ana and JP have been our “boots on the ground” in Marcona, Peru.
While Ana and JP have a combined decade of experience caring for our Humboldt penguins here at the Cessna Penguin Cove, in February they departed for the native habitat of our feathered friends: the Peruvian coast.
For years, SCZ has partnered with the Punta San Juan Program (PPSJ) in Peru. PPSJ aims to protect the diverse ecosystem that calls the Humboldt Current and surrounding coast its home. The Humboldt Current is an upwelling system of nutrient-dense cool water that runs north along the western coast of South America. Much of the SCZ’s support for PPSJ is through financial giving and education, but when the PPSJ asked if we were interested in helping out with a hands-on conservation project, the answer was an enthusiastic yes. Keepers Ana and JP joined a team of eight who spent two weeks installing artificial homes for the Humboldt penguin population native to South America.
The Humboldt penguin is extremely important to the local ecosystem. Since they sit in the middle of the food chain, a thriving penguin population is good for the whole ecosystem. “The Humboldt Current that runs off that coastline is extremely nutrient dense, hence why there is so much bio diversity. Multiple different fish species, fur seals, sea lions, and guano birds share this home. Penguins fit into that ecosystem- they hunt fish but they are also hunted, so they fit into this niche” Ana explains. “If you were to take penguins out of this ecosystem there would be a lot of fall out as far as affecting the other non-penguin populations.”
Guano
Like many coastal seabirds, Humboldt penguins are guano birds, meaning they produce nutrient-dense waste called guano. “Their fecal matter is actually harvested for use as fertilizer. It’s a really key part of the agricultural system in Peru,” says JP. Since 2001, PPSJ has taken huge steps toward ensuring the sustainability of the practice. Historically, guano harvest has posed many threats to the wildlife in the area. Peruvians have been using this high quality fertilizer for centuries, but in many cases, it has been over harvested. Not leaving enough guano behind can severely impact the wildlife that relies on it for nesting material. Humboldt penguins can also be a very skittish bird, often scared away from their habitats by the presence of harvesters. Worst of all, in the 19th century, poaching was not uncommon.
Though irresponsible harvesting poses threats, ultimately the use of guano as fertilizer is good for the earth and the local communities. When farms use guano instead of chemical fertilizers, it reduces the amount of pollutants introduced to the earth and our food. It is also important to clear out excess build up to maintain healthy nesting areas.
One of PPSJ’s major projects is the yearly facilitating of a sustainable guano harvest. This calculated harvest takes place outside of the Humboldt penguin’s breeding season to reduce impact on the species ability to reproduce and raise their young. PPSJ also ensures that workers avoid the area 20 yards from the coast. Tarps are set up to block harvesters from the view of these skittish birds and protect them from land predators.
Though making the guano harvest sustainable was a huge step toward conservation, many other threats still face the Humboldt penguin population. As wind patterns and air pressure fluctuate, the tropics experience two distinct weather cycles: El Niño, the warming phase, and La Niña, the cooling phase. In recent years, these cycles have gotten stronger and more frequent. During an El Niño event, the once cool Humboldt Current experiences warming that drives the nutrient-rich water deeper and farther from the coast. JP explains the impacts of this warming, “Typically the colder the water the more nutrients it holds. That really cold, nutrient-rich water is vital to the fish population, so when that water is warmer, a lot of those fish die off or move elsewhere. When this happens, penguins and other coastal birds have a hard time hunting and thus don’t have the resources they need to breed. Either they don’t have the energy to breed in the first place or they don’t have enough nutrients to pass on to their chicks.”
Though the nutrients are microscopic, their absence has a huge impact on the marine food chain. Small fish like anchovies and sardines become scarce, causing a food shortage for coastal birds and penguins. This in turn creates a food scarcity for the larger mammals such as sea lions and seals that feed on penguins and larger fish. Ana recounts this scenario: “In 2023 during the last El Niño event, penguins didn’t have a breeding season at all and it is thought that that is due to them not having enough food resources to spend energy breeding.” But food scarcity isn’t the only danger to wildlife during these events. The warming of the surface temperature can be fatal for chicks and eggs who need extra protection from the heat.
Artificial Nests
That’s where the artificial penguin nests come in. When a penguin population must travel farther for food, they expend more energy. By the time they return to their beach, many penguins do not have the energy to build proper burrows, breed, or feed their young. Ana explains that the aim of installing artificial nests for the penguins is to provide an opportunity for the birds to skip a step so they can save their energy. “This takes the leg work out for them and just kind of gives them an open, move-in-ready home to give them more energy and focus to spend on egg laying and chick rearing instead of building the nest to begin with.”
These nests also serve an important purpose when it comes to protecting the chicks. When a penguin doesn’t have enough energy to fully burrow, they produce what is called a surface scrape. These uncovered nests leave eggs and chicks vulnerable to heat and predators. “In warming temperatures, [PPSJ] has documented a lot of egg and chick loss due to overheating.” Ana explains. “The new nests have a different design to be more climate controlled so that doesn’t happen.” “It also provides much more protection from predation. Rats are actually a big problem for chicks and eggs.” JP adds.
On their two week trip, the team installed nearly 200 of these artificial nest structures along the coast. This process took less time than anticipated so while in Peru, the team also had the opportunity to participate in beach clean-up and sea lion tagging.
Back in Kansas, both Ana and JP say that the conservation trip impacted their perspective on the work they do here at the Sedgwick County Zoo. “We get into zookeeping because we love animals and we want to conserve species, but a lot of our focus is on caring for the individual animals we have here at the Zoo. Promoting the Punta San Juan Project in our penguin encounters is like, sure we have a tie to it and we know that it’s important, but physically being there, experiencing what they are doing, and learning from those researchers… Their dedication and passion for this project inspires us and makes you put into perspective that what we do to help them is important and it’s making a difference. It’s nice to bring that home and talk to people about that to hopefully inspire them.”
So how can you help? When you visit the Zoo, purchase a membership, or participate in a Wild Encounter you are financially supporting our conservation partners and their efforts globally.