This dataset contains reproduction data for Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), chinstrap (P. antarctica), and gentoo (P. papua) penguins collected in the Antarctic peninsula region, the South Orkney Islands, and East Antarctica between 1977 and 2017. The data include species counts, colony and nest monitoring information, hatch information, and the maximum number of chicks observed using traditional and autonomous methods. Traditional study methods consisted of researchers conducting direct observations of penguins throughout the season to record information on egg laying, incubation, and brood/guard periods. Simultaneously, autonomous study methods consisted of time-lapse cameras deployed at the penguin colonies to photographically record the same daily nesting activities throughout the season. The data are in spreadsheet format with header information in text file format.

Occupancy surveys in November 2009 and December 2010 (Southwell and Emmerson 2013) found a total of 2 Adelie penguin breeding sites in the Bolingen Island group between longitudes 75.333oE-75.912oE. The boundaries of breeding sub-colonies at 1 of these sites (Lichen Island, 73030) were subsequently mapped from vertical aerial photographs taken for abundance surveys on 20 November 2010 (for details of aerial photography see Southwell et al. 2013). The boundaries were mapped with a buffer distance of approximately 1-3 m from the perimeter of penguin sub-colonies. The other breeding site (73156) was photographed obliquely from a helicopter using a hand-held camera on 6 December 2010. Colony boundaries for this site were drawn and digitised by eye. Please refer to the Seabird Conservation Team Data Sharing Policy for use, acknowledgement and availability of data prior to downloading data.

Data loggers were fitted to four Little Penguins in August 2002 to reconstruct the time/activity budget of free-ranging Little Penguins from Penguin Island, Western Australia as they foraged in the shallow waters of Comet Bay, Western Australia.

An occupancy survey in December 2009-February 2010 and January 2011 found a total of 6 islands along the Knox coast had populations of breeding Adelie penguins. The survey in 2009/10 was conducted from a fixed wing aircraft and oblique aerial photographs were taken of occupied sites. The aerial photographs were geo-referenced to satellite images or the coastline shapefile from the Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica (LIMA, tile E157) and the boundaries of penguin colonies were digitised from the geo-referenced photos. Details for each island are: Merrit: Photographs taken on 1 February 2010 and geo-referenced to LIMA tile E157 Cape Nutt: Photographs taken on 5 January 2010 and geo-referenced to a Quickbird satellite image taken on 17 February 2011 Ivanoff Head: Photographs taken on 27 December 2009 and geo-referenced to LIMA tile E157 Please refer to the Seabird Conservation Team Data Sharing Policy for use, acknowledgement and availability of data prior to downloading data.

An occupancy survey in 26 January 2012 found a total of 2 islands along the coast between 120o30’E - 121o02’E had populations of breeding Adelie penguins. The survey was conducted from a fixed wing aircraft and oblique aerial photographs were taken of each occupied site. The aerial photographs were geo-referenced to the coastline shapefile from the Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica (LIMA, tile E159) and the boundaries of penguin colonies were digitised from the geo-referenced photos. Details for each island are: Chick: Photographs taken on 26 January 2012 and geo-referenced to LIMA tile E159 Henry 1: Photographs taken on 26 January 2012 and geo-referenced to LIMA tile E159 Please refer to the Seabird Conservation Team Data Sharing Policy for use, acknowledgement and availability of data prior to downloading data.

Two colonies with breeding Adelie colonies were mapped this season in the Rookery Island group in conjunction with colony counts. Subcolonies were mapped by circumnavigating the perimeter of sub-colonies on foot while carrying a Garmin GPS (Legend Cx) to log the track taken. The person walking the perimeter of the sub-colonies maintained a buffer distance of approximately 2.5m between themselves and the breeding birds along the sub-colony boundary. This buffer distance was reduced to approximately 2m in the final shapefiles. Please refer to the Seabird Conservation Team Data Sharing Policy for use, acknowledgement and availability of data prior to downloading data.

Occupancy surveys in November 2008 (Southwell and Emmerson 2013) found a total of 31 Adelie penguin breeding sites off the Vestfold Hills. The boundaries of breeding sub-colonies at 26 of these sites were subsequently mapped from vertical aerial photographs A further two breeding sites (IS_72295 and McCallie Rocks_72205) were photographed obliquely from a helicopter using a hand-held camera on 10 January. Colony boundaries for 72295 were drawn and digitised by eye. Colony boundaries for 72295 were sketched onto a rough island polygon from the oblique photo without being rectified. Please refer to the Seabird Conservation Team Data Sharing Policy for use, acknowledgement and availability of data prior to downloading data.

Occupancy surveys in November 2009 and December 2010 (Southwell and Emmerson 2013) found a total of 15 Adelie penguin breeding sites in the Svenner Islands between longitudes 76.50oE to 77.50oE. The boundaries of breeding sub-colonies were subsequently mapped from vertical aerial photographs taken for abundance surveys on 20 November 2010 (for details of aerial photography see Southwell et al. 2013). The boundaries were mapped with a buffer distance of approximately 1-3 m from the perimeter of penguin sub-colonies. When photos of Island 73036 were viewed there was no colony to map so only 14 islands were mapped. Please refer to the Seabird Conservation Team Data Sharing Policy for use, acknowledgement and availability of data prior to downloading data.

An occupancy survey in December 2009-February 2010 and January 2011 found a total of 6 islands along the Knox coast had populations of breeding Adelie penguins. The survey in 2009/10 was conducted from a fixed wing aircraft and oblique aerial photographs were taken of occupied sites. The aerial photographs were geo-referenced to satellite images or the coastline shapefile from the Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica (LIMA, tile E157) and the boundaries of penguin colonies were digitised from the geo-referenced photos. Details for each island are: Merrit: Photographs taken on 1 February 2010 and geo-referenced to LIMA tile E157 Cape Nutt: Photographs taken on 5 January 2010 and geo-referenced to a Quickbird satellite image taken on 17 February 2011 Ivanoff Head: Photographs taken on 27 December 2009 and geo-referenced to LIMA tile E157 Please refer to the Seabird Conservation Team Data Sharing Policy for use, acknowledgement and availability of data prior to downloading data.

Oblique hand-held photographs were taken of all Adelie penguin breeding colonies at Scullin Monolith from a fixed wing aircraft on 10 December 2010. These photographs were geo-referenced to a Worldview 2 satellite image of both monoliths taken on 26 January 2011 and the colony boundaries in the geo-referenced photos were digitised as shapefiles. Please refer to the Seabird Conservation Team Data Sharing Policy for use, acknowledgement and availability of data prior to downloading data.