Comparing reproductive success of a colonial seabird, the Magellanic Penguin, estimated by coarse- and fine-scale temporal sampling

Fecundity, an important demographic variable for wildlife populations, is time consuming and expensive to measure. For seabirds, reproductive success is often estimated from 2 surveys of the colony, 1 during incubation and 1 during chick rearing. Using 33 yr of data on Magellanic Penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus), we compared reproductive success estimated from 2 surveys per season, from infrequent nest checks, and from daily nest checks to...