Mind the polar sun: Solar radiations trigger frequent heat stress in breeding king penguins, despite relatively cool air temperatures.

Polar and sub-polar animals evolved to thrive in cold climates and may thus be particularly vulnerable to the rising temperatures associated with climate change. Polar and sub-polar penguins may be especially vulnerable due to their dual habitat, alternating between foraging in cold waters and breeding/moulting on an increasingly warm land. Here, we characterized heat stress occurrence in breeding king penguins through behavioural observations and subcutaneous body temperature measurements. We show that heat stress is frequent (> 20% of observations at mid-day) in king penguins breeding in the sub-Antarctic region, and that thermoregulatory mechanisms appear insufficient to maintain stable sub-cutaneous temperature. Air temperature alone was a poor predictor of heat stress occurrence, while the combination of high solar radiations, low wind speed and high temperatures was its best predictor. Importantly, reproductive failure occurred on days warmer than average, suggesting potential significant sublethal effects of heat stress being likely to affect population dynamics.