They're one of the only bird species to do this.
Researchers have cracked the case of why erect-crested penguins in New Zealand reject their first-laid eggs.
After studying the breeding biology of erect-crested penguins , an endangered species known for its spiky crown of feathers, researchers from the University of Otago in New Zealand determined that the penguin parents condemn one egg to oblivion to ensure that the second egg successfully hatches, as the birds know that they can't feed two chicks.
"The second eggs were much larger than the first eggs, and the difference [in size] between the two is the largest of any bird species," Lloyd Davis, the study's lead author and a professor in the department of science communication at the University of Otago, told Live Science."In most birds, the clutch [of eggs] gets smaller as they're laid, but in this case, the second egg is on average 85% larger than the first one.
To mitigate this, scientists set up a"ring of stones" around 14 nests to prevent the eggs from rolling off the outcroppings. But even that didn't encourage the penguins to nurture the first eggs they laid.In addition to monitoring the birds, the scientists also collected blood samples, which revealed another piece of the puzzle when they were analyzed in the laboratory.
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