Recognition software picks up a penguin

The system recognises marks on the penguins' chests and stomachs

Software developed at the University of Bristol is being used to identify individual penguins without the need for tagging.

The recognition technology distinguishes the birds by the marks on their chests and stomachs.

The development follows work carried out by Peter Barham, a professor of physics at Bristol University, who has been studying African penguins on Robben Island in South Africa.

Each bird has unique black and white markings on its chest, and a camera has been set up on the island to collect the data.

The birds can then be identified so that their behaviour can be tracked. This will provide information such as how they feed and whether their lives are being affected by climate change.

Collecting the data is now much faster since the birds do not have to be caught and individually tagged. The data is also more reliable, because more birds can be monitored.

Robben Island is home to about 20,000 penguins, but there are fears that the numbers are declining.

The technology, which could be used to monitor other animals in the future, is on display at this year's Royal Society Summer Science exhibition in London.

More information on the project is available at Spot the Penguin.