Artificial nests can boost the breeding success of endangered African penguins, but different designs are more effective at different colonies, according to a study by an international team of researchers from South Africa and the UK.

Researchers assessed artificial nests made from four different materials to see which would help boost the population of endangered African penguins the most.

Artificial nests can significantly boost the breeding success of endangered African penguins, but their effectiveness varies.

The study involved monitoring the breeding success of African penguins for 12 years at sites across South Africa. The findings showed that artificial nests outperformed natural nests and increased breeding output by 16.