2026 Fundraising Project:
Little Penguin Nest Attendance at Snapper Island
Helping researchers get a clearer picture of NSW’s declining Little Penguin populations.
Little Penguin populations in NSW have declined dramatically over the past few decades, with some of the largest colonies now thought to be only a fraction of their former size. But accurately measuring how many penguins remain is becoming increasingly difficult. This project on Snapper Island, Batemans Bay will use automated technology to monitor breeding Little Penguins at their nests, providing better data to help researchers estimate populations across NSW.
Why do we need better data?
One way researchers estimate Little Penguin populations is by counting birds as they come ashore at dusk. But not every breeding penguin returns to its nest every night.
To turn these counts into reliable population estimates, researchers need to know how often breeding birds are actually attending their nests while incubating eggs, caring for chicks and heading out to sea to feed.
Currently, the data used to make these calculations comes from Phillip Island in Victoria. But NSW penguins experience very different ocean conditions, including the rapidly changing East Australian Current.
A small trial on Snapper Island has already suggested that using Victorian attendance patterns may significantly overestimate the number of breeding penguins in NSW.
Little Penguin with eggs. Photo: Nicholas Carlile.
How will the project work?
Snapper Island, in Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast, is ideally suited to finding a better answer. Little Penguins have been monitored there since 2020, more than 75% of breeding adults are already microchipped, and many breed in artificial nesting burrows.
The project will install automatic microchip readers at the entrances to these burrows. The readers will record when individual penguins come and go, giving researchers detailed information about nest attendance without requiring weeks or months of continuous observation.
The equipment can operate for at least three breeding seasons, helping researchers understand how penguin behaviour changes both within and between years.
Little Penguin chick and artificial burrow with automatic microchip reader.
Photo: Dr Lisa O’Neill.
What will your fundraising achieve?
Each complete monitoring system – including the microchip reader, solar panel, battery and associated equipment – costs approximately $2,650.
There are up to 13 suitable burrows on Snapper Island, and the amount raised through the Twitchathon will directly determine how many can be equipped.
$2,650 funds 1 burrow.
$10,600 funds 4 burrows.
$21,200 funds 8 burrows.
$34,450 could fund all 13.
The more nests we can monitor, the stronger the data researchers can collect.
The results will help produce more accurate estimates of Little Penguin populations in NSW and improve our understanding of how these much-loved seabirds are responding to changing ocean conditions.
Little Penguin chick and adult Photo: Nicholas Carlile.
The people behind the project
Dr Lisa O’Neill (Project Lead) oversees the research and data management and has been monitoring Little Penguins on Snapper Island since 2020.
Nicholas Carlile (Project Assistant) brings extensive experience in seabird research and island restoration. Nicholas is responsible for the technical set-up of the automated monitoring system and assists with monitoring the birds.
Josh Waterson from RegionX - Unspoilt Experiences assists with field monitoring, data collection and vessel logistics.
Chris Lloyd supports equipment establishment and the construction and materials for artificial nesting habitat.
The team has already successfully trialled one automated monitoring unit on Snapper Island, established with $2,400 in seed funding from the Cumberland Bird Observers Club Memorial Fund.
Snapper Island is a Nature Reserve under the management of Eurobodalla Shire Council and is not open to the public.
Dr Lisa O’Neill and Josh Waterson on Snapper Island. Photo: Nicholas Carlile.