A dataset on worldwide penguin diet

Studying the diet of penguins is essential for understanding their role in marine ecosystems, evaluating their responses to environmental changes, and informing conservation strategies. This manuscript presents the 'Penguin Diet Dataset-v2', a comprehensive compilation of dietary data for 17 out of 19 currently recorded penguin species, obtained through a systematic review of the scientific literature. Spanning the 1980-2019 period and covering 149 global locations, the dataset includes 2.749 dietary entries with both qualitative and quantitative information on prey types. The dataset is enriched with metadata such as geographic locations, time periods, seasons, and life stages, providing insights into species-specific dietary patterns and ecological trends. Key prey groups include fish from the class Teleostei, crustaceans from the class Malacostraca, and mollusks from the class Cephalopoda. The Adélie Penguin and the Magellanic Penguin are the most extensively studied species. This dataset serves as a valuable resource for advancing research on penguin feeding ecology and addressing gaps in knowledge on understudied species, regions, and time periods.