Data were collected from several penguin monitoring sites in the Antarctic peninsula region, the South Orkney Islands, and East Antarctica between 1977 and 2017 using traditional and autonomous methods.Traditional methods consisted of researchers conducting direct observations of penguins throughout the season to record information on egg laying, incubation, and brood/guard periods. Simultaneously, autonomous methods consisted of time-lapse cameras deployed at the penguin colonies to photographically record the same daily nesting activities throughout the season. Seabirds observed in this study are Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), chinstrap (P. antarctica), and gentoo (P. papua) penguins.