Global warming has thrown off the reproductive schedules of plants and animals, typically harming interdependent species—such as when flowers bloom too soon for the bees that pollinate them. However, scientists have identified a rare animal that appears to be gaining an advantage from this shift: King penguins.
Research tracking 19,000 king penguins across a sub-Antarctic archipelago reveals their breeding season now begins 19 days earlier than it did in 2000. This shift to earlier mating has boosted their breeding success by 40%, as reported in a study published in Wednesday’s edition of Science Advances.
The science of biological timing in nature is known as phenology. It has become a significant worry for biologists, as predators and prey, along with pollinators and plants, are generally adjusting to warmer temperatures at varying speeds. This often leads to critical timing misalignments.
Such mismatches are particularly frequent among birds and pollinators like bees. According to Clemson University biological sciences professor Casey Youngflesh, who was not involved in the research, most birds, particularly in North America, are failing to match the pace of phenological changes.
For a species like the king penguin to adapt this effectively to seasonal and timing alterations “is unprecedented,” stated study co-author Celine Le Bohec, a seabird ecologist at the French national research agency CNRS. “It’s quite striking.”
While other penguin species face population declines linked to earlier breeding, the king penguin possesses a breeding window from late October through March. They are exploiting this inherent flexibility, Le Bohec explained.
They are managing to thrive despite warming waters and the consequent shifts in their marine food web, noted Le Bohec and lead study author Gaël Bardon, a seabird ecologist at Monaco’s Scientific Centre.
“They can adjust their foraging behavior remarkably well,” Bardon said. “We observe some birds heading directly south to the polar front, others going north, and some remaining near the colony. This ability to modify their behavior is what currently allows king penguins to handle these changes so effectively.”
Le Bohec cautioned that this might be only a short-term adaptation to a rapidly transforming environment. “That’s why the species can manage this change for now, but until when? We don’t know, because everything is moving very, very fast.”
Other penguins with restricted diets are more vulnerable to disruptions from ocean warming and food chain alterations. In contrast, king penguins—whose large populations classify them as a species of least concern—can consume prey beyond their main staple of lanternfish, the researchers said.
“The king penguin seems to have some flexibility as a hidden advantage, potentially placing it well for adaptation as its environment evolves,” said Michelle LaRue, a professor of Antarctic marine science at New Zealand’s University of Canterbury, who was not part of the study. She added, however, that she questions what occurs post-breeding, given king penguins live over 20 years in the wild, and this study examines only a fraction of their lifespan.
Independent scientists share the caution of Le Bohec and Bardon about labeling the king penguin a rare climate change success story.
“A win for this species could mean a loss for another if they are vying for the same resources,” Clemson’s Youngflesh remarked.
Ignacio Juarez Martinez, a University of Oxford biologist who has studied earlier breeding in other penguins, commented: “This research indicates king penguins might be current winners, which is positive, but climate change persists. Future alterations to ocean currents, rainfall, or temperatures could reverse these gains.”