After more than a decade of research, South African and British experts demonstrated that artificial nests boost breeding among endangered African penguins by 16.5 percent compared to natural nests.
The study assessed penguin breeding in artificial nests at eight major colonies across South Africa, aiming to find a universal design but revealing significant environmental variability.
"Nature is never simple," said Lorien Pichegru, noting that while fiberglass nests benefit some areas, they can overheat in unshaded environments like Bird Island.
"The conclusions were colony-specific," Pichegru stated, emphasizing that each penguin colony has unique environmental factors, necessitating tailored nesting strategies.
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