Penguin Personalities Cause Birds to Adapt to Climate Change

The climate continues to change, causing animals to change their lifestyles in turn. Currently, the ability of many animal species to adapt is being put to the test. Now, though, researchers have taken a closer look at penguins and have found that a bird's individual personality may be among the factors that could improve its chances at successfully coping with environmental stressors.

According to the Audubon Society, nearly half of all North American bird species are severely threatened by shifts in climate. Not only that, but this threat reaches beyond just North America and could have similar effects on global bird populations.

In order to better understand how birds might adapt to a changing climate, researchers examined Eudyptula minor, small penguins located in New Zealand. In this case, they studied the differences the level of the stress hormone corticosterone that the penguins secreted when exposed to stressful stimulus.

"There is considerable individual variation in corticosterone responses, and a stimulus that initiates a large response in one bird may initiate a small response in another bird," wrote John Cockrem, one of the researchers, in a news release. "Corticosterone responses and behavaioral responses to environmental stimuli are together determined by individual characteristics called personality. Birds with low croticosterone responses and proactive personalities are likely to be more successful (have greater fitness) in constant or predictable conditions, whilst birds with reactive personalities and high corticosterone responses will be more successful in changing or unpredictable conditions."

The findings may help predict the adaptability of not only penguins, but other bird species. This, in turn, could help researchers target conservation efforts in the future.

The findings will be presented at the American Physiological Society (APS) intersociety meeting on Oct. 8.