Gentoo penguinsin the Antarctic spend much of their life swimming , making it hard for researchers to study their aquatic behavior . To learn more about how these birds communicate offshore , scientists from the Korean Polar Research Institute ( KOPRI ) attached tiny video tv camera to the seabirds and maintain them forage for food in the ocean . The resulting footage suggests that the birds use their vocalizations to stay together in pack while hunting , National Geographicreports .
KOPRI scientist — who recentlypublished their findingsin the journalScientific Reports — monitored 26 penguins over the path of two breeding season . Camera microphones catch virtually 600 penguin call events , and the birds ' behavior was recorded on telecasting .
Gentoo penguins have multiple eccentric of birdsong , include food communion calls , alarm calls , cry to maintain group coherence , and call signifying “ hostile interaction . ” After watch the camera footage , scientist noticed that the bird also use certain seaward shout to tack together penguin into packs . This may increase their betting odds of snaring prey .
“ The yell can help them form a group , ” Won Young Lee , the study ’s spark advance scientist , tell Gizmodo . “ In a mathematical group , a penguin is more likely to find prey . Because Gentoo penguins in our discipline [ are ] dependent on Antarctic krill , which are normally found in turgid plot , it ’s good to be in a group to detect these krill patch . ”
Meanwhile , footagealso showedthat Gentoo penguins strike shorter or shallower dives , and swam to other areas after making yell . This implies that their vocalizations might serve a variety of affair .
In the future , KOPRI investigator hope to use cameras to learn why Gentoo penguins make vocal calls during foraging trips . Until then , you’re able to see one of their picture below .
[ h / tNational Geographic ]
